Grass Whistle
by Order of the Aether
Summary: Maybe Lloyd has something to learn from Zane's kooky old dad before the final battle to save Ninjago. Maybe grown-ups actually make really great friends. FIC NOW COMPLETE! No slash; set between and after Episodes 23 and 26. Rated for canonical character death.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: If anyone's curious what inspired this fic, I have the link to the tumblr discussion after the story. Cheers, everybody!**

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 **Grass Whistle**

Lloyd Garmadon flopped on his back, grunting slightly when his head thumped on the ground, and blinked. The tropical sun either hid behind or poked out between the slices in the palm branches overhead.

The breeze was nice, but the light in his eyes was kind of annoying. So was the island heat. But more annoying was the fact that Lloyd didn't know how many metric tons of sand it takes to conceal a flying ship.

I mean, he'd know better than anyone. He was pretty sure he'd moved more than half (okay...a fifth, since the other ninja were helping) of it himself. Slowly. Bit by bit. With his own two arms. In a _shovel._

What he wouldn't give for a bulldozer right now. Or a wheelbarrow. Or...literally anything that would carry that much sand instead of him.

He hadn't bothered to _count_ the exact amount, but by golly, he'd carried it. So, needless to say, his arms were pooped. So pooped they should really be flushed right now.

He had to snicker at that for a second. Gene would've killed to come up with that himself.

But then Lloyd bit his lip. He probably shouldn't be making dumb, kiddy jokes like that anymore. He was the green ninja. And Uncle Wu would never let him "abandon his focus".

Still, though...it was hard to believe the fate of Ninjago rested on a twelve-year-old kid.

Lloyd looked down at his feet—they were way further away than they used to be—and wiggled his toes. Good thing no one was here to see him goofing off like this. He could kind of see his toes through the black sock-like footies of his gi.

This grown-up body was so weird. He was still trying to get used to it. And as helpful as it was for moving _more sand than a human should have to see in his lifetime..._ well, it still stunk to get out of bed sometimes and over-balance until he almost fell over.

Movement and a shock of white at the corner of Lloyd's eye made him whip his head around to look. Had Uncle Wu caught him slacking off? He'd better—

Oh. No, it was just Zane's dad. The bespectacled inventor sat four trees away from Lloyd in the shade of the half-finished combat vehicle. He was fiddling with something in his hands, both of his feet propped up on a gear box.

The old man put his clasped hands against his lips, and a clear whistle note pierced the sound of the breeze and lap of the waves.

Lloyd sat straight up, eyes wide. Zane's dad grinned and changed the shape of his hands to get different notes, eventually playing a bouncy song with the whistle.

Lloyd couldn't believe it. Do grown-ups goof off too? The machine was right there, and the old man should have been working on it. But no, he was playing a song with a whistle and _totally goofing off._ How was he doing that anyway?

Zane's dad must have noticed him staring. "Eh, help an old man out, would you?" he asked, turning to Lloyd with a lopsided smile. "My memory's not what it used to be. Your name is...Lloyd?"

He sounded unsure. "Yeah," Lloyd answered with a little smile.

"Ah! Thank you!" he exclaimed. Zane's dad wheezed when he laughed. "I know my son, of course, but there are a lot of you. I'm doing my best to keep up."

Lloyd didn't know how to respond to that. "You're doing great," he tried. Yep. Nailed it. He scooted next to the old inventor and leaned over to see his hands. "How are you doing that?"

"Oh, I'm just messing around," he replied. "It's a grass whistle." He turned his hands so that Lloyd could see the green blade of grass held along the length of his thumbs.

Lloyd raised one eyebrow. It was a little weird to be sitting this close to a grown-up that he didn't know very well, but he was _really_ curious now. "It's just one little blade. How does that work?"

"Why, it's simple." Uh-oh. Lloyd could tell he'd set him off now. Most nerds don't stop once you get them talking.

"The grass acts like a reed in a wind instrument," the inventor rambled. "This island grass is very well-adapted to it. A good shape and texture, and very aerodynamic. Like so." He blew on the grass again to demonstrate, and a clear note sang out.

Lloyd felt a smirk twitch up one side of his face. "I guess I've got to try it now." Gotta hurry before Wu caught them both stalling. He snatched a blade of grass out of a sprig growing close by and blew.

Lo and behold, he got a huge fart noise.

Zane's dad wheezed through his hand.

"Hey…" muttered Lloyd. He frowned. Did Zane's dad trick him somehow? I mean, I guess it would be a pretty funny prank if it wasn't _you._ He wouldn't put it past him, considering some _other_ pranks that were pulled on him in the past…

"I'm—I'm terribly sorry," the old inventor said with a cough, and cleared his throat. "I shouldn't laugh." He was still smiling, but it looked kinder.

Lloyd could feel his eyebrows shoot up to the sky. "Uh, no, that's okay," he stammered. Did an adult just... _apologize_ to him?

"Here, let me see," he said, and thin, wrinkled hands took Lloyd's too-big hands between them. Lloyd's eyebrows were galavanting in the clouds and not coming down anytime soon.

"Hm," the old inventor muttered. He picked up the blade of grass and sized it up with one eye shut, then put it back and made sure Lloyd was holding it correctly. Must not have noticed how Lloyd reacted. "The length of this one should be right for the size of your hands. Hold it like this.

"Perhaps…" He grinned and sat back, plucking a new blade of grass. "Yes, be careful not to press your lips flat against your hands. You ought to keep a round shape, and blow." He winked at Lloyd and gave a gentle puff on the new blade to demonstrate.

So Lloyd scrunched up his face and tried. And tried again. And again. The best ones were when he got no sound at all, or only got a little whizzing noise.

He grunted in annoyance. Wu could show up at any time now and he _still_ couldn't figure it out.

Zane's dad paused in his own whistling. "Don't give up, there," he said gently. "You almost have it."

Lloyd looked up, surprised again, but the inventor was already distracted by the clouds and his whistle and the large pillar rocks offshore. So Lloyd tried again, and again, and—finally, blowing hard, he got a peep of a whistle.

Zane's dad sat up and barked out a, "Ha!"

"I did it!" cried Lloyd, and he started to laugh for pride.

"Well done," the old inventor said, chuckling, and he whistled away into his hands.

Lloyd had to smile; a real one, this time. He hadn't had a lot of time for fun lately, and now he learned something new.

With new energy, he tried to copy everything he did to get that first whistle—and sometimes, he succeeded!—until his mom appeared on top of the sand dune piled up against the Bounty.

"Lloyd! Doctor!" she called, waving down at them. "Come in. There is something you both need to see."

"We're coming," Lloyd called back. He un-crossed the too-long legs and started to get up.

Zane's dad was already standing, and he offered a wrinkled hand down to help Lloyd to his feet. "Let's see what she wants," he suggested with a smile.

"Yeah." Lloyd took it and pulled himself upright.

The waves kept lapping on the shore, and the palm branches kept bouncing overhead, as they made their way to the Bounty.

Lloyd fell back a little—not consciously, but slowly, bit by bit—as he watched the old inventor's back and saw him waving up at Zane, who'd appeared on top of the ship as well.

Lloyd felt his face crumple, and he looked down at the black footies of his gi.

Part of him wished it was his own dad who'd taught him to make a grass whistle.

 _tbc..._

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 **A/N: Thanks to EntityEndDragon, Candaru, and Skylark for the help in spelling "gi". You all are those little round candies with a hole in the middle.**

 **This fic was inspired by the awesome Dr. Julien fanbase on tumblr, especially the discussion linked here:** **boxydj. tumblr post/ 166348721400/ drjulien-drjulien-drjulien-dr-juliens . I hope you guys enjoy what I've got in store!**

 **Reviews are goofing off when nobody catches you.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: A quick but necessary in-between chapter. I hope that Lloyd's sarcastic inner monologue makes this fun. All of the dialogue is taken from Episode 23, "Island of Darkness".**

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Lloyd knew that he, Cole, Zane, Kai, and Jay might have the power of Spinjitsu; but in his mind, nothing beat his mom's power of having _every ancient document known to man_ rolled up and hidden in the quiver-like carrier on her back.

The whole gang (except for Nya, who was keeping watch) piled around the table in the Bridge to see the scroll Misako had rolled out flat for display.

Lloyd had no idea how ancient papyrus could hold such bright colors. Complicated green and gold geometry on the scroll spiralled around a central point at the summit of a mountain. He found his eyes drawn to it, tracing the edges and corners as his mom explained.

"The Scrolls say there is a hidden temple on the island," began Misako. "If you find it, it will give the ninja pure elemental powers—powers that can destroy the indestructible army."

Now Lloyd was paying attention. The Stone Army had been a nuisance ever since they landed on this island—like when a wasp is in the room somewhere, but you can't see it. Powers strong enough to _destroy_ them? Yes please.

"So you're saying we get to fight?" asked Cole, glee evident in his voice. "Woohoo, I've got happy feet!" He practically sang. Lloyd grinned, wondering what it would take to get Cole to do a dance on the table right there.

"And you, my son." Misako's warm voice and her hand on Lloyd's shoulder snapped him back into focus. She picked up the scroll with a smile. "Here it is written: 'For once the Green Ninja finds the Instrument of Peace, he will strike it, and know the power of the Ultimate Spinjitsu Master.'"

Lloyd could feel his head spinning already. "Ultimate Spinjitsu Master?" he asked in awe.

"It means you will be able to invoke the power of the Golden Dragon," Misako said with a smile, her hand gliding in the air as if she could see the dragon already. "It was an ancient fighting style only practiced by the _First_ Spinjitsu Master."

The other ninja stared at Lloyd blankly. Boy, did he love those dopey looks on their faces. Jay's especially was hilarious.

Lloyd gave a little sardonic laugh. And to think he was "just that kid" to them a month or so ago. "Jealous?" he sneered.

"W-wait a minute," stammered Kai. "This all sounds too good to be true. What's the catch?"

"The catch is…" Uncle Wu stepped forward, no louder than a cat. "The Temple could be anywhere on the island. And all we have is _this_."

He brought out a shining golden disk from behind his back. At first glance, the three holes near its center made it look like a huge coin to Lloyd, but then he changed his mind.

Zane's dad (seriously, what was his name again? uh...J-something...Jude?) sat at the head of the table near Wu, and he took the disk.

"A medallion!" he exclaimed, bringing it close to see. "It's like a compass. When the three holes match up, the medallion will reveal where the Temple is hidden."

The Bridge went a little quiet.

"Uh, how'd you _know_ that?" asked Jay.

"Oh, I did a lot of reading in my spare time." Dr. Jude—probably—leaned back in his chair, smiling at Zane. He gave that wheezing chuckle. "Adventure stories were my favorite!"

Zane smiled back at him and plucked the medallion from his hand. "Then what are we waiting for?" he asked the whole room.

Yeah, showtime! Lloyd grinned and jumped out of his chair with the rest of the ninja—but unlike them, he'd made the mistake of sitting by Uncle Wu.

"Not you, Lloyd." The old sensei was blocking his way.

"Aw, _seriously_?" cried Lloyd. He tried to dodge around Wu and failed. "Are we _still_ doing this?" How could they hold him back when he could _find the power to destroy an invincible army?!_

"Wu is right." And _now_ Mom was involved. Great. She put her hand on Wu's shoulder and moved him to talk to Lloyd herself. "If you were to come across your father, it could prematurely start the final battle," she explained. "We need to be at full strength before we take any risks."

And sure, that _sounded_ logical enough...but it meant he didn't get to _go!_ And in front of all the other guys, too.

Jay mimicked Lloyd's sardonic laugh from earlier. The other boys around were grinning at him. "Jealous?" snarked Jay.

Ugh, there it was. Lloyd scoffed with all his might at all of them, hands on his hips.

"Well…" Dr. Jude's voice sounded a little timid, but everyone in the room looked at him anyway. "I could use some help around the shop," he went on. "We should get working on vehicles that might help give us a fighting chance."

 _Fighting chance._ The old inventor curled his hand into a fist and shook it in the air with a grin.

Lloyd thought to himself that the old guy probably couldn't last ten seconds up against one of the stone warriors.

Okay, maybe Lloyd _did_ need to stay behind after all. Just to protect everybody and make sure they wouldn't get hurt. But that didn't mean he had to _like_ it.

Wait a second…

 _Julien!_ It was Julien!

Okay, nobody had to know that he'd made that mistake.

 _tbc..._

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 **A/N: Thanks to Sam for catching the typo. Lloyd's latest opinion of Dr. Julien is "nerd in need of protecting".**

 **Reviews are getting to go out with the guys.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Guess who got a new job and told them she was available on weekends? *does a little dance* One of these days I'll get good at time management. Anyway, I had a few hours to kill today, so here's a new chapter!**

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Given that he was basically a twelve-year-old kid in a vaguely late-teenage body, here's the grand total of what Lloyd knew about mechanical engineering: nothing.

The good news is that he didn't have to know it all. Dr. Julien already did, and he made things seem really simple and easy. Wire this here. Hook this to that. Ratchet these in. Stack those. Fit these together. Solder that. Watch your fingers. Rinse, and repeat.

Before Lloyd knew it, he was putting the finishing touches on a gigantic drill, as wide as he was tall, that took up the entire front end of the combat vehicle.

He hadn't forgotten about his own plan to protect everybody. So when Dr. Julien sent Uncle Wu to the Bounty's hull to fetch more spare parts that Lloyd couldn't name, Lloyd made a mental note.

When the doc sent Lloyd's mom to a nearby creek in the forest for water to wash them, Lloyd payed extra attention.

And he kept listening to the clanks, whirring, and ratcheting noises he could hear from an otherwise inconspicuous pile of palm branches on the other side of the Bounty to make sure that Nya was okay.

For now, it was just him and the doc. Lloyd's wrist was starting to hurt, so he sat up on top of the drill with a grunt and massaged the ache.

Dr. Julien fiddled with some wires in the control panel of the vehicle nearby. He looked like you could set off a bomb and he wouldn't even notice; laser-focused through his glasses, muttering to himself and scrawling down notes on a pad of paper as he worked.

Lloyd had to smile. He was starting to wonder how an old nerd with a mind for nothing but machines must feel to see all of this flying ship, evil stone army nonsense for the first time.

Heck, it was overwhelming enough for Lloyd, and he'd grown up with his own dad being the lord of darkness.

"Doesn't this seem weird to you?" he asked.

Dr. Julien's head flew up so fast that his glasses bounced on his nose and landed crooked. "Eh? What?"

"Oh. Sorry, did I startle you?" Lloyd tried to hold back a grin and failed.

"No, no, not at all. I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention." Dr. Julien pushed the spectacles further up on his nose and blinked. "What was it you said?"

"I asked if this is weird to you."

"How to you mean?"

Lloyd hopped down off the drill and landed expertly on his feet in the sand. "I mean—well, I know you've already seen a lot." He hardly wanted to think about the story the poor guy had to tell about Samukai.

"But we're ninja," continued Lloyd. He heaved a box of parts into his arms and turned back to face the doctor. "And you're on an island with the lord of darkness, the Overlord, and an indestructible army, and the final battle is on its way."

Lloyd shrugged with the box in his arms. "Aren't you—I dunno, maybe a little bit scared?"

"Heh..." Dr. Julien shook his head and got up from his knees. Lloyd had to guess that he'd been kneeling by the control panel.

"Well, a little frightened, if I must say so," he admitted. "But to be honest—" He filled his lungs with the island air and stood up. "I'm just so glad to be _free_ that everything else pales."

Lloyd wasn't expecting that, so he paused and listened.

"If Ninjago is in danger," the old doc went on, "and _you_ have a fighting chance at saving it, I'd be happy to do what I can to help you." Dr. Julien's smile made the wrinkles around his eyes jump out.

Lloyd had to smile back. Really, should he be surprised that the guy who _raised Zane_ turned out to be pretty awesome?

The old doc gave a small laugh. "I told Zane that I made him to protect those who can't protect themselves. This is the best way I could ever imagine it to happen!"

He waved his arms wide at the entire blue sky. "As a _ninja_." He said the word like it meant a million dollars. "Fighting for _good_ , with all of you."

 _Fighting._ Lloyd's smile fell, and he gave a frustrated groan instead.

"That's just it." He tossed the box up onto the vehicle—sloppily, so that it landed with a loud _clank—_ and jumped up after it just as loudly.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but I kind of haven't been doing very much _fighting,_ " groused Lloyd. My mom and Sensei Wu mostly just shove me to the side."

Dr. Julien frowned as Lloyd started rooting through the box. "As I understand it," the old doc answered slowly, "your role is the most crucial one of all."

Lloyd didn't look him in the eye.

"I suppose they're trying to protect you."

"I guess," griped Lloyd.

He really, really, _really_ hated to admit it. But maybe the old doc was right.

That's when Lloyd noticed that he couldn't hear what Nya was doing anymore. The little cluster of leaves by the Bounty was quiet—and instead, whirrs followed by heavy thumps rang out from the forest.

Lloyd straightened up on his knees to see. Could it be one of the stone army's tanks?

Oh. Nope. A huge, bright red mech stomped out of the forest shadows, and Lloyd couldn't hold back a wild grin.

Nya pulled a lever to make the beast of a machine stand still. "Well, looks like this is done," she said with a little smile. "Hope you boys are ready for this baby."

"All right, Nya!" cheered Lloyd. "That looks great."

"You _built_ that?" cried Dr. Julien, and Lloyd swore his grin was even wider.

"Uh, yeah." Nya looked embarrassed enough to hide in the mech, but she still smiled. "Whaddya think?"

"I think it's magnificent!" The old doc scrambled down off of the vehicle and took off running over the sand as Nya jumped down out of the pilot seat. "For this level of craftsmanship with so little resources and time—"

He beamed up at the machine, then turned that same smile to Nya. "Young lady, you and I are definitely going to have to talk machines when we get back to Ninjago."

Nya practically glowed. " _Really_?" Her hands had come up in two little fists in front of her, and she shoved them behind her back. "I mean—I'd be honored! You kind of _built Zane_ , so I think I've got a lot to learn from you."

"And I, you," he answered. "Technology has progressed in leaps and bounds since I last remembered it. Could you bring the cabin down here so I can take a look?"

"Sure!" She leaped up to do just that and buckled in.

Lloyd just smirked to himself and went back to ratcheting bolts on the big drill, kind of spacing out a little as the doc and Nya talked machines in the background.

Lloyd had listened to a lot of adults' attempts at encouraging others—some more successful than others. They went from his mom's warmth, to Uncle Wu's quiet stirring speeches, and even to his dad's heartfelt honesty.

But Dr. Julien was a little bit different. He seemed to think the best course of action was just to throw somebody a big grin and go on and on to tell you how good they'd done.

Thing is—it worked. Lloyd felt like he was already a mild prodigy at building machines, and Nya looked really excited to talk about her mech.

The best part was that the doc genuinely seemed to enjoy listening.

Lloyd began to pay attention when the two mechanics nerds started saying words he understood again.

"Well, the coupler is all ready for you," Dr. Julien was telling Nya. (Lloyd got that because he'd helped to _build_ the coupler.) "We left the back of the vehicle wide open for storage."

"Good deal," replied Nya. She hit a button on the mech's leg, and the whole thing folded itself. Over and over, again and again, smaller and smaller, until it squeezed into a fair-sized red trunk and slid into the vehicle trunk.

Dr. Julien was almost shaking.

Lloyd howled in laughter. "Nya, that's _awesome!_ "

"Thanks." She grinned up at Lloyd and rocked on her heels. "It took a little effort to work in the extra compactors, but I think it was worth it!"

Dr. Julien was recovering, if a little slowly. His open mouth shut into a smile, and he stiffly clapped his hands.

"Right then." The old doc's voice was unusually high. He cleared his throat and it was lower. "We should check the deploy mechanism to make sure it's working," he remarked to Nya.

"Right behind you," she answered, and followed him up the side of the vehicle to the control panel.

Lloyd couldn't help but grin and stick his tongue out when he caught Julien's eye.

What a nerd.

 _tbc_...

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 **A/N: Shared interests know no age. Dr. Julien is considering adopting Nya so that he'll have a nerd daughter.**

 **Reviews are, quite literally, approval from your friends.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Lloyd and Misako's conversation in the beginning here is taken, once again, from dialogue in Episode 23, "Island of Darkness". Everything else is just me having fun.**

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The big drill was almost done, just a few plates short of covering the spindle. Lloyd kept an eye on his surroundings, but mostly focused on his job when Wu dropped off what looked like an old printer, several gears, and a lightning rod by the vehicle's front tires.

Lloyd had no idea what use any of that could have in a combat vehicle, but the doc had surprised him with his creativity more than once, so he kept his mouth shut.

Dr. Julien was on the ground, pounding in a guard around the drill. "Thank you, Wu," he said, turning to the old sensei. "If you could fetch some more creek water, that should pretty much do it."

Uncle Wu said nothing, just nodded with a small smile hidden under his beard and picked up the two tin buckets nearby.

Lloyd looked up to make a note of which way he was going.

But Uncle Wu just...stopped. He and Misako shared a look for a second, then smiled at each other before Uncle Wu continued on towards the forest. Misako watched him go.

Lloyd felt his jaw going slack. He jumped down from on top of the vehicle, ignoring the loud clanking and whirring he left behind him.

"So," he began slowly, standing beside his mom—who to be honest, he didn't know very well either—and asked, "How did you meet him?"

"Who?" she answered, eyes and voice still faraway. "Sensei Wu?"

Lloyd couldn't look her in the eye. "No. My father."

Misako turned to Lloyd and sighed. She took one of his hands in her own and put her other arm around his shoulders. "You know," she said quietly, "he wasn't always the way he is today. It took years for his poisoned heart to turn him evil."

Lloyd wished he could take comfort in that. He also wished he could have known his dad then. But Misako went on.

"There was a time when I loved him very much," she said with a chuckle, "and he was very proud."

Lloyd could hardly believe it. "When was that?" he asked, looking her in the eye.

She pulled him close. "When we had you."

Lloyd let himself enjoy it for a moment. His smile didn't last as long as he wanted it to. "And now it all comes down to me... _fighting_ him," he murmured.

Misako's smile fell.

She pressed a kiss to his forehead—why in the world did he have to stoop down so she could do that?—and released his shoulder. "I'm going to go see if Nya needs any help in the Bridge."

"All right," Lloyd nodded, putting on his bravest smile.

She squeezed his hand and left for the little dune that concealed their ship.

Lloyd sighed as soon as her back was turned.

Acting brave was so much work. It was so hard to imagine his dad being as good as Misako said he was. Lloyd had known that his dad was evil ever since he was a kid, and he'd almost been proud of that once.

But he had caught glimpses of a good person under that black skin and those four arms when Garmadon had come to stay on the Bounty. Boy, Lloyd had still had a kid's body back then. It seemed like so long ago.

That just made it hurt _more_. The man who still had a little kindness in him was the one that Lloyd would have to battle for Ninjago's future.

He had to wonder what life would have been like if it wasn't for the Great Devourer's venom or destiny.

Maybe they could have had a normal family...whatever that looked like.

The end of a tube brushed the ends of Lloyd's hair and someone blew a loud raspberry right into his ear.

Lloyd jumped five feet in the air and howled, "What the-?!" before his feet hit the sand.

Dr. Julien sat cross-legged on the ground, almost rolling over himself in laughter, with a clean pipe clutched in his hands. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't help myself," he chortled. "You looked so serious!"

 _Serious?_ Lloyd's eyebrows pressed together. If he had looked serious, that was because...

"I'm going to have to fight my dad soon," he explained.

Dr. Julien's laugher was squashed by a look of surprise and concern.

Lloyd shrugged. "You know. The whole lord of evil thing? I don't want it to happen, but it's destiny."

Dr. Julien's frown had deepened, and he couldn't meet Lloyd's eyes. "Ah." He let the pipe fall into the sand. "I'm...very sorry. I didn't know."

"It's okay," sighed Lloyd. It wasn't okay, really, but it wasn't the old doctor's fault. He wished he had pockets in his gi to stick his hands into them.

Dr. Julien had busied himself with a screwdriver and gears again, looking guilty and sad.

Lloyd couldn't help but notice the tube lying untouched beside him. Using all of his best ninja skills, he swiped it off the ground without making a sound. The doc didn't seem to notice.

Lloyd dusted the sand off of the tube, turned it just so, and lifted one end to his lips and the other to the old doc's ear...

Dr. Julien looked up from his work. He turned a split second too late.

Lloyd accidentally blew the raspberry right in his face.

Dr. Julien staggered back, eyes wide behind his glasses. Lloyd burst into whooping, shocked laughter. What had he just done?

Dr. Julien sputtered as he struggled to sit up again. He looked like he was trying to keep from laughing. "What on earth?" he wheezed.

"You looked so serious!" exclaimed Lloyd, trying to imitate the way the old doc had said it, but failing.

Dr. Julien shook his head, full-on wheeze-laughing until he doubled over.

Lloyd was going too fast to stop now. He tucked the tube under his arm and made glasses out of his hands, teasing him with, "Oh, dearie me, I'm Dr. Julien, and I just can't leave anyone to think alone."

Dr. Julien growled through his laughter. "Oh, give me that!" he cried, getting up on his knees to swipe at the tube.

Lloyd dodged him like an expert ninja and ran off, cackling like mad with the pipe over his head. He stopped about twenty feet away, just under cover of the trees, when he realized the doc was still sitting by the vehicle.

"You can't get this!" hollered Lloyd, jumping and waving the tube in the air.

"I'm not running after you," the old guy shouted back with a grin. "You're young. I'm old."

Oh, now it was on. "You're gonna have to catch me," Lloyd challenged.

"No, no, bring it here."

Lloyd burst out laughing. "No!"

"I need that!" insisted Julien.

"No you don't!" Lloyd howled back.

"I need it for the engine. It's important!" The old doc pointed to the open hood of the vehicle beside him. But he was still wearing a cheshire grin, and Lloyd couldn't tell if he was lying or not.

"There's no way I'm going over there," called Lloyd.

"Bring it here!" demanded Dr. Julien.

Lloyd could hardly breathe through his laughter. "Nooo!"

"Lloyd!"

That was a new voice. His mom sounded panicked as she ran out towards them. Lloyd forgot the game, and even Dr. Julien got to his feet.

"Come quick," she cried as she reached Lloyd. "I heard a commotion in the woods. The stone warriors are there. Wu might be in danger."

 _Now_ Lloyd was really paying attention. "Sensei Wu?" he asked, eyes wide.

By this time the old doc had gotten close enough to put a wrinkled hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "You'd better go," he said gently, worry on his face.

"Yeah. Here you go," Lloyd answered, handing him the pipe, before he turned and followed his mom's green scarf deep into the forest.

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 **A/N: If Lloyd seems OOC here, I imagine that this is his little kid side coming out in full. He's stressed, and these emotions are a lot to deal with. If a game with a tube will let him relax a little, he'll jump on the opportunity.**

 **Also, that entire prank is one of my dad's favorite tricks. Props to you for the idea, Dad.**

 **Reviews are stupid kid games played on beaches.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Today, the closest thing to Julien angst that you'll ever get from me. (*glares at woods, cough* jk i love you, you nerd.)**

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It was a close fight. The Stone Army warriors couldn't be stopped, only slowed down.

But Lloyd, his mom, and Uncle Wu were able to trap them in different ways—including a rapid-fire bamboo cage that Lloyd constructed himself. Not to brag, of course, but he hardly broke a sweat.

When the three of them returned to the beach, Dr. Julien ran from the combat vehicle's side to join them. "Is everyone all right?" he cried, out of breath.

"We're fine," answered Misako. "The stone warriors set up an ambush in the forest, but we were able to slow them down."

"At the creek? Oh, I'm sorry," stammered Julien, turning to Wu. "I had no idea that my errand..."

"You are not to blame," Uncle Wu assured him, stepping forward and looking out from under the straw hat. "I should have been more careful."

Lloyd frowned. He'd been thinking about how to avoid this ever since they got back. "If the stone army is getting closer," he began slowly, "maybe we should move somewhere they won't look for us."

"We can't," replied Misako, shaking her head. "We've already encamped here, and the other ninja won't know where to return if we leave."

"She's right," said Uncle Wu. "A rash decision may cost us everything. We will stay here for now, and learn to defend ourselves more closely."

Lloyd had to agree that that made sense. "Yes, Sensei." He bowed.

Dr. Julien hadn't said anything since his apology, only stood there wringing his wrinkled hands.

Uncle Wu and Misako eventually left for the Bounty, and Lloyd turned back to look at the old doctor. "You okay?" he asked.

"Oh!" Dr. Julien looked surprised. "Yes, fine," he answered briskly. "I'm just...ah…" He wasn't looking Lloyd in the eye.

Lloyd had to smile a little. "You know they don't blame you, right?" he asked quietly.

Dr. Julien gave a heavy sigh. "Yes, of course." He finally lifted his gaze off the sand. "But that doesn't change the fact that my request almost put your sensei and... _all of us_ in danger."

Oh. Lloyd stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. It still boggled his mind that he didn't have to reach _up_ to do that.

"Honestly," admitted Lloyd, "if it had to be anyone to run up against the Stone Warriors, I'm glad it was Sensei Wu. He almost had it handled before we showed up. You heard them," he added, shaking Dr. Julien's shoulder gently. "We'll defend ourselves, and everything will be fine. You're safe."

Dr. Julien's smile looked a little weak as he squeezed Lloyd's hand and removed it from his shoulder. "Thank you," he answered. "It's not that."

Lloyd's eyebrows went up to the clouds, then right back down. "What is it, then?"

"Well, it's..." He couldn't look Lloyd in the eye. "It's complicated."

Lloyd puffed out his chest. "I'm no stranger to complicated," he challenged in his best Green Ninja Voice. "Try me."

Dr. Julien's laugh was tiny and starved. "Oh, no, I...well..." His voice was far away, somewhere he didn't want it to be.

"I..." He grabbed at his arm anxiously. "I suppose I've helped the side of evil once before. It was the worst feeling of my life." That was the first time he'd really looked Lloyd in the eyes. "I don't want to do it again."

Lloyd couldn't help but feel sad for him. "You didn't," he assured him quietly. "And you won't."

"But—" he began.

"No, just give me a second," insisted Lloyd, grabbing both of the doc's shoulders.

He half expected to be shut down anyway. 'You wouldn't understand' is a thing that grown-ups say to kids pretty often, and there was no reason that should change.

But instead, Dr. Julien looked at him for a long time—so long that Lloyd almost memorized the shade of blue behind his smudged glasses, a color exactly like Zane's eyes—and then the old doc said perfectly seriously, "All right. I'm listening."

Oh, darn...why did he think he could talk to an adult about his problems again? But after a second to chase down his thoughts again, Lloyd let his hands down and blurted out, "Sensei Wu always tells us to never think about the 'what if's."

Lloyd took a deep breath and went on, more comfortable with his thoughts. "You're wondering what would've happened if we got caught?" he asked, stepping back to give him some room. "Well, we _didn't_. Mom and Sensei Wu and I fought back and made sure it didn't happen. So there's no use thinking about it."

Lloyd could almost feel himself getting taller, confident now in his entire speech. "You _didn't_ help the side of evil again," he went on, "and you won't, and you're already helping the side of good. You're building that machine and helping Nya. That's _real_. So ignore the 'what if's, and hold on to that instead."

Lloyd took a deep breath, finally losing steam. "That's all."

Dr. Julien gave him a long, unreadable look.

And then, he stepped forward and pulled Lloyd into a hug. Lloyd let out a muffled grunt of surprise against the lapel of his lab coat.

But when he started to think about it...man, when was the last time he'd gotten a real hug like this? Arms over the shoulder, yeah, and maybe a hug from the side or two, but this? It kind of felt warm...and really good...

He grabbed the back of Julien's lab coat and sunk into the warmth.

A short while later, the old doc murmured, "Thank you."

Aw, darn...Lloyd was sure he was going to cry now.

Dr. Julien took a deep breath, and let Lloyd go just a little bit too soon. The old doc smiled from behind his glasses and laid his hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "You're very wise."

Lloyd sure didn't feel very wise. "I've...got good teachers," he answered with a shrug.

Dr. Julien took his hand from Lloyd's shoulder to fix his coat.

Lloyd got an idea. "If you still feel bad about it," he began slowly, "maybe you can figure out another way for us to get water that's safer."

Dr. Julien looked at him with surprise, but immediately he was thinking again. "Why, that's a brilliant idea." A little spark came back to his expression. "Come to think of it, I saw some parts from the Bounty's scraps that might work for a filter. We could use the seawater offshore!"

Lloyd blinked. That was fast. "That's perfect!" he blurted.

"Oh, but I'll need an extra hand to get it set up." The old doc's smile at him was almost a knowing smirk. "Care to help?"

Lloyd chuckled. "Sure. What else do I have to do?"

Dr. Julien cuffed his ear, messing up his hair with a grin.

"Hey!" Lloyd covered his head and tried to smooth all of his hair back down, laughing.

"Well, let's get to work, then," ordered Dr. Julien with a wink.

Lloyd followed him to the workbench in the sand at a run.

He would make sure that if anyone wanted to hurt this kind, batty old man, they'd have to go through the Green Ninja first.

 _tbc..._

* * *

 **A/N: An integral part of Lloyd's canon personality: inspiring speeches. Also, he's really starting to like Julien now.**

 **This is probably the most heart-breaking chapter until the last one. *rubs hands, evil chuckle***

 **Reviews are unexpected hugs.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Another half-chapter to recap where we are in the episodes. The next chapter will be catch-up work too. The good news is that I like this part.**

* * *

Sunset was already turning the sky orange and stretching black shadows across the beach by the time the other ninja returned to camp. Lloyd looked up from the workbench where he and Dr. Julien were working on the filter.

"Hey, they found the falcon!" the old doc exclaimed, spreading his arms wide in joy.

Sure enough, Zane clutched the mechanical bird in both arms as he and the others emerged from the forest. But Lloyd noticed something else.

"Why are they running?" he asked no one in particular.

Zane might have been out of breath once he reached the workbench, had he not been a nindroid. "Prepare for battle," he urged them both, gently clearing a place between the scattered parts of the filter to set his falcon down on the bench. "We've got company."

"You were spotted?" Uncle Wu had urgency underneath his voice as he stepped forward. "By one? Two?"

"How about..." Kai began with a hopeful smile, then slumped his shoulders. "All of 'em."

"Did you locate the Temple of Light?" asked Misako. She and Uncle Wu had joined the others around the workbench.

"It's at the top of the mountain," answered Kai. "I hope those vehicles are ready, because we could sure use 'em now."

Ready they were. The huge driller vehicle sat on a gentle slope on the beach, the gold-plated hubcaps gently reflecting the sunset's orange light. Misako and Dr. Julien led the way.

"Guess you're gonna have to figure this baby out on the fly," remarked the doc as the other ninja followed at a run. He didn't seem too worried about it.

The cabin roof opened up on its own, and Cole, Kai, and Zane leaped in without hesitation.

Jay joined Nya on the other side of the vehicle as she went on, "We've also packed another surprise in back. Perhaps it could be of use?" She pecked Jay on the lips.

"Another Nya surprise?" exclaimed Jay. He couldn't have sounded happier.

Lloyd grinned and turned when his mom put her hand on his shoulder. "You'll have to go too." She squeezed his hand warmly. "Be safe."

Lloyd smiled back. "We will."

He leaped in to join the other ninja, tapping lightly over the ridges in the vehicle's body and a golden exhaust pipe. Jay had already taken his seat, and was saying his last goodbyes.

"Whatever you do," Uncle Wu called up to them, "do not stop until you find the Temple of Light. Our survival depends on it."

Kai had the seat beside Lloyd, and looked past him to answer Wu. "This time," Kai assured him with a smile, "we'll stick to the plan."

Cole, in the driver's seat, punched a button and the cabin roof slid closed over their heads. Lloyd was the last one to look away from his uncle as Wu wished them, "Good luck, ninja."

With a mechanical growl and hiss, the enormous hind wheels of the vehicle slid backwards against the dune. Cole throttled the engine, and the whole vehicle crawled out of their little man-made cove. The loud purr escalated to a roar as they rounded the bend and shot off across the beach.

Only the sky and the sea in the distance could stop them. Lloyd couldn't keep a grin off of his face.

Finally, _finally_ he was back in the fight! Onward to the Temple of Light!

* * *

For only being on its maiden voyage, the driller machine was _killer_ , and the red mech probably saved their lives.

As the boys tunneled through the island and effortlessly scaled the sheer rock face of the mountain, Lloyd kind of found himself wishing that the nerds who built them had gotten a chance to see them in action.

When he had a second to breathe between fending off the Stone Army, he remembered that he _was_ one of those nerds, and that made it even _better_.

By nightfall, an enormous bell in an ancient temple was struck, and it filled a room full of prophecies and carvings with white light.

By nightfall, Lloyd had the First Spinjitsu Master's power.

By nightfall, four jets of the elements and the shape of a golden dragon shot high into the star-speckled black sky.

* * *

 **A/N: And that completes the scenes from Episode 23, "Island of Darkness"!**

 **Reviews are a working driller mech.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: *skids in* *falls on my face* *jumps up* Oh wow, I'm alive! How were everyone's holidays? Mine were lovely, but work hours spiked way up after that, and then I got a new boss. It's been crazy. But hey, I'm here now! Have a longer chapter to (hopefully) make up for the wait, a recap, and another little bit of fluff. I'll keep updating whenever I have the time between work. *runs out again***

* * *

The next day was sleepy, sunny morning, not a cloud in the sky. While the older boys were splitting flying coconuts with their new elemental blades offshore (seriously, you can't make this stuff up), Lloyd leaned on Dr. Julien's workbench and watched him repair the falcon that Zane had rescued the day before.

It was everything he could do not to frown. Lloyd had woken up that morning feeling uneasy—he thought the new power of the First Spinjitsu Master would do away with all his worries about the final battle, but he woke up feeling just the same as before. Only difference was that he could shoot balls of energy out of his hands now, if he concentrated hard enough.

But watching Dr. Julien fit cogs and gears and wires around in the falcon's chassis was kinda relaxing. It give his brain something to focus on instead of his thoughts.

The old doc had kept up a little running commentary to Lloyd while he worked. He seemed determined to turn Lloyd into a nerd like him, and Lloyd was determined _not_ to be a nerd. But he listened anyway, because building stuff was cool.

"Every cog...every gear...is important," the old doc said, carefully placing a gear into the falcon's open chest. At that, the mechanical bird began to whir and move—the wings flapped, and the bird came back to life. "If one piece is missing or out of place," the doc went on, leaning over the workbench toward Lloyd, "the invention won't work!" He looked goofy in his protective magnifying goggles, and it was all Lloyd could do not to snicker.

Dr. Julien pressed the red button on top of the falcon's workings, and the bird's chest panel shut, closing the seams over with fake feathers. The falcon perched obediently on a red screwdriver on the bench, looking every which way to take in the sights of the beach.

Lloyd couldn't help but smile.

"Come now, little one," bid the doc, affection and glee wrapped up in his voice. "Time to fly." He motioned for the bird to take to the skies, and it did, soaring upward with a hearty screech until it was only a tiny black shape on the blue sky.

Lloyd hardly heard Uncle Wu stalk over the sand to meet them. He walked like a cat. "It is like you ninja," the old sensei said. "You each serve very important roles, and are each key parts to a magnificent fighting force."

And Wu just had to get right to the point. Lloyd scowled at his shoes. He knew he had to be the head of that fighting force—but he sure didn't feel like it at all.

The doc had already taken off the goofy goggles, and was whistling to himself as he joined Nya to work on the driller mech's repairs. She'd been soldering a fracture in the cabin roof for the past few minutes herself, and the noise went on behind Lloyd as he tried to think.

"If we're all gears," he said slowly, "what if I'm the gear that doesn't work? What if I don't do my part? What if—" His voice got quiet, and he stared at his shoes. "—I can't defeat my father?"

Or worse, what if he _did_ defeat him, and _hurt_ him? This new power was great, but against his dad...the thought had been gnawing at him all night.

"What if there are no more 'what if's?" Wu asked in return.

Lloyd blinked as that sunk in, and lifted his head.

"The final battle is almost upon us," Wu went on. "When that time comes, we will know the answer to 'what if', whether we like it or not."

The voice was kind, even if the words were not, and that made Lloyd feel a little better. Nya stepped down from the vehicle and took off her soldering helmet, shaking her head to put her hair back in place.

"I know you don't _want_ to face your father," she said, with a sympathetic look at Lloyd, "but there's no other choice."

"But perhaps there is." Lloyd stepped back to see his mom. Misako wore a beaming smile that made crinkles around her eyes. "I used to think it was inevitable, but then I found this." With that, she set a red scroll on Dr. Julien's workbench.

"You mean Lloyd doesn't have to fight?" Cole emerged over the dune with the other boys behind him. He was grinning too. "This I gotta hear."

As Lloyd watched, Misako rolled out the scroll and began, "The scrolls say that when the Helmet of Darkness is bequeathed to its rightful ruler, the celestial clock will count down to the activation of an unspeakable weapon, the first sign that the final battle between good and evil has begun."

The scroll's paper was blood red. Lloyd couldn't tell if that was a face, a cave, or a giant helmet with horns painted there with black ink, but a red army poured out of its "mouth" and it was topped with a single evil eye and a skull, and it sure looked evil. He had to wonder what his mom was so happy about.

Still descending the dune, Kai asked, "Did you just say, 'unspeakable weapon'?"

"Uh, I'm still hung up on what 'bequeathed' means," put in Jay.

"Go on, Misako," said Cole with a big smile. "Don't let us interrupt you. How do we stop the final battle?"

Misako looked over the scroll thoughtfully as the boys crowded around the workbench. "There is nothing here that explains what would happen if the helmet of darkness...is _returned_ ," she said, turning the rest of them.

"Interesting," noted Wu. "Remove the helmet, the clock starts. Put it back, the clock stops."

A lightbulb went off in Lloyd's head, and his eyes bugged out. "And the final battle never _starts_!" he cried, standing up with a grin.

"Bequeathed, anyone?" asked Jay, looking mildly annoyed. "Is _anyone_ going to help me out with that?"

Kai ignored him. "Uh, that sounds great and all," he began, "and I know we have our new powers, but—you expect us to get past his whole army of stone warriors, _and_ pluck the helmet off his head?" He mimicked the motion of doing exactly that.

"My brother's right," Nya spoke up. Her voice took on a sly tone. "They're good, but they're not _that_ good."

If Kai made a face at that, Lloyd didn't see it.

"I know," answered Misako with an amused smile. "And that is why _I_ am going to do it."

Everyone in the group took a collective quick breath in. Lloyd was immediately worried, but he wasn't sure he should be. I mean, it was his _mom._ She could handle herself against the stone warriors. And anyway, if he could go with her, maybe he could make sure that nothing would go wrong.

"I'll just need a little help," Misako went on, and pulled the older ninja aside. "In order to get past their guards, we need to first get control…" she began.

Lloyd took a step to join their little pow-wow before he felt a thin (but firm) hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Lloyd." Uncle Wu gently pulled him back, and Lloyd could only groan in response. "This mission isn't for you."

Lloyd turned to face his uncle, his two fists balled up beside him. "But I'm all powered up!" he protested. "I can help!"

Uncle Wu's voice was steady. "We mustn't let you and your father come face to face yet," he reasoned. "We're trying to prevent the final battle, not welcome it."

And Lloyd couldn't argue with that at all. He lowered his head in a small bow. "Yes, Sensei."

Again, infinite power—not really doing much for him. Wu really did seem sorry, if still very firm. It took all of Lloyd's willpower not to pout like a kid. He tried not to listen too hard to what the other boys were saying, especially since he wouldn't be a part of their mission.

He ended up zoning in on the conversation between the resident old guys instead. Uncle Wu had approached Dr. Julien while Lloyd was thinking.

"Doctor," Wu greeted him quietly. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Dr. Julien dusted off his lab coat and shrugged. "Well, going to the creek for water was a disaster last time, so I won't ask you to do that. Your nephew and I set up a filtration device in a hidden area on the shoreline if we should need it."

Lloyd had to grin a little at that. He remembered.

"But first things first," the doc went on, "I'll need replacements for the parts that took damage in the last fight, if you can."

Wu nodded—and when Uncle Wu nodded, it always looked like a slow, sage bow. "I'll look around the Bounty and see what I can find," he promised.

"Thank you," answered Julien. And with that, Wu headed for the Bounty.

Lloyd had to smile, himself. He figured he might as well make himself useful, so he jumped in with what Dr. Julien was doing, removing damaged parts, fitting new ones on the driller, and carrying anything that was too heavy for the old doc. Soon, Nya joined them.

A little pile of scraps built up on the sand nearby as they went on in a few minutes of quiet work. The only sounds were the hiss of Nya's soldering iron and the lap of the waves, and Lloyd had time to think.

It occurred to him that he'd forgotten to ask the old doc a question since their team meeting in the Bridge. "Did...you say yesterday that you liked adventure stories?" he began slowly.

"Hm?" Dr. Julien looked up from trying to free a ripped bolt. "Oh, yes!" he replied lightly. "Just a pastime, I suppose. An avid reader yourself?"

"Heh. You could say that." Lloyd began to work at freeing a bent piece of metal from the chassis. He was pretty sure sure comic books didn't count. "Got any favorites?"

"Oh, certainly!" The doc had a grin on his face as he rattled off, "California MacKeen, Clutch Powers, old classic Fritz Donegan—"

"Wha-?" Lloyd's head flew up, and he asked eagerly, "You like Fritz Donegan?!"

"Why, of course! Do you?" asked Julien.

"Yeah, he's one of my favorites! I have every copy of his comic books in mint condition," Lloyd rambled, hefting the metal into his arms. "Except for the last one. But I already know what happens to the Imperial Sludge. I thought all of his stories are new," he added, shrugging.

"Well, I guess the comic books are, if they're making those," admitted Dr. Julien. "Back in my day, Fritz Donegan was actually a radio show! But I loved listening to his outer space adventures. I've always wanted to go to space." That goofy grin was back.

Lloyd chuckled. "Me too." He followed him around to the other side of the vehicle, still lugging the heavy piece of metal. "Even though I don't think it's _really_ as interesting as the comic books make it."

"You're probably right." The doc started working on a new coupling. "But just to be in a space shuttle—to _engineer_ a space shuttle!" His eyes twinkled. Nerd.

"I think I'd like to meet aliens," said Lloyd. Then he back-pedaled. "Not that I think there _are_ aliens, but— _if_ there were, you know."

"Are you sure?" asked the doc. "Fritz Donegan's aliens were hardly ever friendly."

"Yeah, but he always _fought_ them to solve his problems. Except for the one time he saved the Judari princess. That's what _I'd_ do—make friends out of hostile species."

"Sounds like a snooze." There was a mischievous gleam behind those glasses now.

"Oh, yeah?" Lloyd shot back. He tossed the hunk of metal into the scrap pile with a _clang_ so that he could put his hands on his hips. "And I bet you think _fighting_ everybody is a better idea."

Dr. Julien pretended to look at Lloyd down his nose, then he turned and shouted over the vehicle, "What do you say, Nya?"

Nya popped her head up from the rear bumper and flipped up the soldering helmet.

"Best way to colonize the galaxy: diplomacy, or conquest?" called Dr. Julien.

Lloyd mouthed, " _Diplomacy!_ " in her direction, then gave her a thumbs up.

"Conquest, definitely," she answered with a wry grin.

"No!" Lloyd protested, stomping his foot.

Dr. Julien chuckled, and even Lloyd had to grin.

In the midst of that conversation, he'd forgotten all his worries about his powers.

 _tbc..._

* * *

 **A/N: Little-boy Julien with his brown hair and big glasses lying on the rug and listening to Fritz Donegan radio shows is one of my favorite and strongest headcanons. Fight me.**

 **Reviews are when your nerd daughter takes your side in a debate.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Made a couple changes to this chapter, since I watched the episode again and realized that Wu didn't come in the mech with Nya. Too mainstream for a ninja master, I guess.**

* * *

It was late afternoon, the sun still bright but low and casting faint shadows across the beach, and the work was almost done when Nya came running from the Bounty.

"The falcon sent us a visual," she said urgently. "Looks like Misako and the boys need some help out there."

Lloyd tried not to panic and immediately started ratcheting the tires on faster. They'd just been working on a liquid cement patch for a small puncture in one of the tire walls—he had to hope it would hold up for another battle.

"Are they in danger?" Dr. Julien asked. There was a slight panic in his voice.

"They'll be able to hold out on their own for a little while," answered Nya, "but I think they'd appreciate the backup."

At that, the doc exhaled and seemed to relax. "I can have her ready in ten minutes," he said.

Jumping on top of the vehicle and grabbing a wrench, Nya replied, "Make it five."

"With you on board?" The doc climbed up beside her, toolkit in hand, and he wore a shaky grin in spite of the situation. "Not a doubt in my mind."

Lloyd allowed himself a grim little smile.

* * *

Sure enough, Lloyd hadn't finished counting to three hundred before the repairs were finished—or at least the mech was in fighting order. Lloyd jumped down from the open cockpit to land on the sand beside Nya.

"Who's giving them grief?" he asked her, perfectly serious. "The Stone Army again?"

She shook her head, a sad look in her eyes. "No. Your father."

Lloyd felt his expression go dark as he stared at his shoes. Then he lifted his head to wish her, "Good luck."

"You too," she said, hopped into the driver's seat, and pressed the button to shut the cabin roof.

Lloyd stepped back to give the mech room. The engine grumbled and roared to life before the enormous tires rolled past Lloyd and Dr. Julien, and the mech coasted out of their little cove. Lloyd watched it leave over the surface of the beach in the distance.

He felt he should have been helping. He should have been there. But he knew better than to come face to face with his father so soon. Lloyd had all the power in Ninjago, and _still_ his hands were tied.

The old doc had quietly come to his side while Lloyd was standing there, and he placed a thin, wrinkled hand on his shoulder. Lloyd knew that Julien was offering a sympathetic look, but he didn't dare look at it. His father had his friends in danger and he couldn't help—all he needed was for someone to offer sympathy and he might just break down.

Lloyd didn't say thank you, or even acknowledge the doc. He just turned his back on Nya and trudged off to the Bounty, and felt the old man's hand fall off his shoulder.

* * *

The readout from the falcon's eye cameras was broadcasted on the big screen in the Bridge, and Lloyd had been glued to it for the past ten minutes. Wu had called Nya through the ship's computers not five minutes earlier and agreed to meet the others at the clock, so it was just Lloyd by himself in the Bridge now.

He couldn't help but feel anxious as he watched the mech, full of his friends, make progress through the woods, but he didn't dare pace the Bridge or take his eyes off the screen in case he missed something. This was too important to mess up.

"Come on, guys," he whispered to himself. "Just a little further to the clock. Just a little more."

Dr. Julien joined him, shutting the door to the deck behind him. "How are we looking?" he asked.

"The driller mech is staying ahead—just barely." Lloyd sighed. "I hope they make it. If they can return the helmet, the final battle will end without hurting my father. It will all be over."

Dr. Julien was quiet for a while. There was a sad look on his face. Finally, he turned to Lloyd and asked, "Did you know him?"

"A little," Lloyd said with a shrug. "He dropped by the Bounty once."

Dr. Julien gave Lloyd a look that he couldn't read, and then turned away and bit his lower lip.

Lloyd didn't know how to respond to that. So he just kept talking. "He might not have been there for me much, but he's still my dad. I don't want to hurt him or..." He winced. He didn't want to think about that. "I just don't want to hurt him. If I can avoid it."

Dr. Julien nodded, but didn't say anything else. He looked back up at the screen. "Looks like they're losing them," he remarked.

"Good." Lloyd let out the breath he was holding and let himself grin at the doc.

Dr. Julien returned the look with a smile. He almost said something when something else leaped onto the screen, startling them both. A black, green, and red four-armed mech surged through the forest, and in its cockpit, a black-skinned man, cackling madly, with red eyes and four arms.

Dr. Julien staggered back.

"Oh, no," whispered Lloyd, his heart dropping into his stomach.

"What?" cried Julien. "Wh-? Who is that in the cockpit?"

Lloyd set his jaw. "That's him."

They watched the battle unfold for the next few minutes, as the drill mech got tossed around like a toy. Garmadon got the upper hand, pinning Lloyd's friends and family inside the mech.

"No!" Lloyd cried, horrified. Then he ran for the door after stammering, "I-I've got to get out there."

"I thought you didn't want this fight!" Julien called after him, sounding supremely worried, and that was enough to stop Lloyd in his tracks.

"I don't!" He stopped and turned to Julien. "Trust me, I don't. But maybe I can stop him without hurting him. Maybe I can save them all, maybe I—" He shook his head, frustrated, and let out a growl. "My friends are in danger, and I'm the only one who can help. That's what I have to focus on. I have to go! Please."

The doc stared at him for a second, gave a quick nod, and looked up at the coordinates in the corner of the screen. "Looks like it's a straight-shot run to the west," he said. He turned back to Lloyd, and the care in the blue eyes behind the glasses almost took Lloyd's breath away.

"Be safe," said Dr. Julien.

"Thanks." Lloyd wanted to stay, and he did for a second, but then he did what he had to and ran out the door.

 _tbc..._

* * *

 **A/N: So uhhhhhhhh yeah Dr. Julien for best dad. Also, the action is starting to pick up, so hold on tight!**

 **Reviews are when your friends and family are not in mortal danger.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: *slides this across the table* *leaves***

* * *

Lloyd ran like mad through the forest underbrush until his lungs were aching for air, but he never slowed down. It felt like an eternity before he could see the gigantic four-armed mech looming between the trees, the drill mech in its hand.

"Let them _go_!" Lloyd screamed. A curling ball of green energy shot out of him, as if he was too small to contain it, and knocked the black mech backwards.

The driller fell from its grip and collapsed on a huge fallen tree. Lloyd could hear his friends yell on impact, but then the cabin roof slid open and they were all free.

Just like that, it was quiet. The four-armed mech lay on its back on the ground, a sparking mess of metal. Lloyd panted and sprinted the last few yards out of the trees and into the clearing, brushing a large palm leaf out of his face on the way.

"Lloyd, be careful!" Nya shouted from the driller.

Lloyd stole a glance up at her. She and the others looked worried and a little battered, but safe. It was Lloyd who stood between them and the mass of smoking, zapping metal.

Lloyd clenched his jaw behind the ninja mask and glared down the collapsed mech. If his father wanted to get to them, he'd have to go through him first.

The four-armed man seemed tiny, stumbling out of the wreckage, coughing and wheezing. Lloyd felt his glare grow hotter. He didn't buy this for a second. The dark lord had threatened Lloyd's friends and failed. Now it was the green ninja's turn.

Lloyd stepped toward him. Garmadon did the same.

"Holy canoli," Jay cried somewhere behind him, "Lloyd and Garmadon in a face-off! Take the shot, Lloyd!"

"He's vulnerable!" shouted Cole.

"Do not hesitate!" That was Zane.

"Strike now!" And Kai.

Lloyd was within a few yards of the man, now. He stole a glance back at his friends for a moment, then turned back towards their enemy.

Garmadon wheezed, coughing so hard that he stumbled. One pair of arms clutched his chest as if he was injured.

 _He hurt them_ , Lloyd tried to remind himself. _He hurt them. If you let him go, he'll hurt them worse. He'll take over the world. You have to stop him. You have to stop this._

Why couldn't he convince himself?

"I'm sorry, Father." Lloyd pushed his voice lower. "You leave me no choice."

Dad—no, Garmadon coughed and sputtered, dragging himself to a halt in front of Lloyd.

"It is our destiny," Lloyd went on.

 _Your destiny,_ he repeated to himself.

He summoned the ball of green energy, willing it to grow larger, larger between his hands. It had been difficult the first time, but now it was almost harder the second, sort of like holding back the flow of a pressure hose with two fingers and like releasing it at the same time. The ball grew bigger and brighter until it was almost the size of Lloyd's chest.

And then—then—Lloyd made the mistake of looking up.

The green light reflected in the surface of Garmadon's red eyes for a split second before he lowered his head.

Lloyd couldn't do it.

The green ball collapsed with a woosh, leaving Lloyd panting.

No. He didn't want to do it this way. He wanted to solve this without hurting his father. Was this what unlimited power was for? For killing people? For causing more hurt?

There had to be a better way. They could return the helmet to the clock, they could stop his army...something. Just not this.

Not this.

Garmadon looked up, blinking. Surprise shone heavy in those red eyes.

"No, what is he _doing_?" groaned Jay.

"They're coming," cried Misako in a little panic.

Sure enough, the shouts of the stone warriors came through the trees, followed by the hulking black figures themselves and their mechs.

Lloyd felt his eyes widen. He'd lost his chance. Reinforcements were here.

And Garmadon...he laughed. A bone-chilling cackle, like Lloyd had done exactly what he'd wanted. Lloyd stared at him, frozen in place.

"Lloyd, we need to move!" shouted Misako.

"The clock is not too far from here!" shouted Nya.

Lloyd turned and stared at the oncoming tanks for a moment. This was bad. This was...not undoable. If they could just outrun them...yes...yes!

"Okay!" he yelled back, and ran back towards the driller.

Maybe it wasn't too late.

* * *

Uncle Wu was already at the clock before they arrived. It sat high on a rocky cliff, and it was huge—as high as a building, and round like a globe. Planets and stars on fixed tracks circled around the central, purple-faced clock like a huge golden mobile.

Lloyd would have almost thought the ancient machine was awesome, if he didn't know what it was for.

The next few minutes were a frantic blur as they played hot potato with the helmet all over the mobile, trying to find a resting place for the helmet before the stone army showed up. The clock's ticking rang loud in Lloyd's ears.

Tick, tock. Tick, tock.

His mom found the resting place on a peg at the center, just below the clock itself.

Tick, tock.

She slammed it down.

Tick...

The gigantic mobile ground to a halt.

And then, it started back the other way.

A loud howl like tornado sirens, but worse, blared through the sky.

"The Horns of Destruction!" cried Misako. "We're too late!"

A sickly yellow beam of light bounced between the planets and shot over the cliff into Garmadon's camp, where it landed with a bright white flash.

The stone army, by that time, had arrived. Lloyd couldn't think or feel a thing as he and his friends and family were pushed back to the edge of the cliff.

The edge fell. Most of them went down with it.

Most of them.

The last thing Lloyd saw was Nya in the grip of a stone warrior, standing on the cliff and screaming down after them, before they hauled her away and she disappeared.

They failed.

 _He'd_ failed.

He felt numb.

 _tbc..._

* * *

 **A/N: I might have some more time than usual to write this week. We shall see.**

 **Reviews are...uh...hm. I'm blanking right now. Reviews are _not_ this train wreck of events.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: . . .**

* * *

It was a long, miserable trek back to the Bounty through the thick of the forest. None of the boys spoke. Neither did the grown-ups. Lloyd tried to drown out the blaring horns in the distance by listening to the muted rhythm of their footsteps and the swish of branches and grass as they were pushed aside.

"Well," Cole finally sighed, "we tried. It isn't like we didn't try."

Kai groaned. "How are we supposed to regroup for battle after this? We don't have my sister. We don't even have the mech!"

"Yeah, and what are we supposed to do without Nya anyway?!" cried Jay, his arms flailing. "You saw how she rescued us back there. Without her, we would'a been sitting ducks! And now we _are_ ducks!"

"I don't even know what we did wrong." Kai bent back a stubborn branch to let the others through. "Did we not put the helmet back on fast enough?"

"If I may," said Zane, "we didn't even know for sure that returning the helmet would stop the clock. The scroll indicated no such thing. It was simply..." His voice fell. "Our final hope."

Lloyd couldn't bring himself to interject. The lump in his throat was too big.

Misako sighed. "I'm so sorry, everyone. I gave you all false hopes." She stood at the front of the little procession beside Wu, but she turned back to look at the rest of them. "This is my fault."

"There is no fault to be found in trying to solve our problems without violence," answered Uncle Wu. "But destiny does not strike bargains. I was a fool to think we could avoid the inevitable. Now, we know what we must do."

The boys all nodded. Lloyd could feel the tears pushing at the back of his eyes.

 _Fool...try to avoid it...destiny...inevitable..._ he should have known better. They all should have known better. And now a last-ditch effort—and his failure to take down his dad when he had the chance—had cost them Nya. Had cost them the battle. Had cost them everything.

The older boys had all been silent for a while. Finally, Cole turned to Lloyd.

"You okay, pint size?" he asked gently.

Lloyd's eyes and shoulders felt heavy. "Do I have to answer honestly?" he whispered.

Cole said nothing. He just turned away and squeezed Lloyd's shoulder. Kai stepped up and pulled Lloyd into his side protectively.

It was all Lloyd could do not to break down. "I'm sorry, guys." His voice creaked.

"Hey." The look Kai gave him was serious, but kind. "Don't blame yourself."

Lloyd nodded, and was quiet the rest of the way.

They turned a bend, shambled down a slope, and finally, the bland carpet of sand and the sea beyond it was visible through the trees.

Lloyd shrugged Kai's arm off of his shoulders and wandered to the front of the group to be closer to Wu. They pushed the last few branches out of the way and stepped down into the cove.

Dr. Julien stood with his back to them in the middle of the clearing, staring fearfully at the sky. Lloyd felt his heart clunk into his stomach when he realized that he'd left the doc here all alone.

"What was that sound?" the doc asked as the others reached him. His hands wrung in front of him. "The horns..."

"The Celestial Clock has reached zero," Wu volunteered, stepping closer. He tucked one hand behind his back. "Garmadon's Ultimate Weapon is now operational...and the final battle between good and evil has all but begun."

Lloyd hung his head and tried to ignore his mom's hand on his shoulder. "Now Lloyd must face his father," she said.

Julien had scanned the whole group, and his face screwed up with worry. "But where's Nya?"

Lloyd squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't want to hear this or be here.

"She's been taken by the Overlord," Wu answered gravely, "but we'll get her back. At the moment, there are bigger things at stake, including all of Ninjago itself."

Jay groaned and threw his ninja mask off. "Who cares about Ninjago?! Nya was my—uh, my—" He faltered and ended weakly, "You know..."

"And she's _my_ sister." Kai took off his mask and put his hand on Jay's shoulder, his expression firm. "I know her being captured is tough, but _she's_ tougher. Tougher than most of us. We'll see her again."

The entire group was quiet for a moment. Lloyd stole a glance at the doc, wondering how he was taking all of this. The old inventor looked sad and a little lost, but not scared.

How could he _not_ be scared when Lloyd, the ninja here, felt _terrified_?

"Lloyd," Uncle Wu said, "your focus gives strength to invoking the power of the Golden Dragon. You _cannot_ lose faith now. Everything rests on your shoulders."

If Lloyd had to be honest, 'everything' was a pretty heavy load. He groaned. "But Sensei, you _saw_ what happened when I tried to face my father, I—I froze!" He shook his head, feeling heavy. "I can't fight him."

"You _must._ " The words were harsh, but it snapped Lloyd back into focus. "It is written in the scrolls."

"Remember," Misako said, putting her hand on Lloyd's shoulder, "your father is just as scared." Lloyd wasn't sure what she was smiling about, but he appreciated the comfort.

"Then the battle will be decided by who is willing to fight," said Wu.

Kai threw on his mask and stepped toward Lloyd. "You won't be alone," he said. "I'll be right behind you." He held the hilt of his elemental blade out in front of him, and it flared to life. "You have my fire."

Cole nodded and stepped forward. "You have my earth."

Zane followed. "And my ice."

"And lightning!" added Jay.

Uncle Wu and Misako each put a hand on Lloyd's shoulders. He stole a glance at them both, then looked around and his friends.

These guys had been with him through thick and thin. They'd turned him from an enemy into a friend, and fought beside him when they couldn't defend himself. They were the family he never got to have—his brothers. And now they were willing to put their lives on the line one last time to back him up, in a last-ditch effort for hope.

"We're all in this together, kid!" said Cole.

Lloyd smiled. He threw on his mask.

"What are we waiting for?" he asked. "Let's suit up!"

* * *

They all sprinted downhill and them uphill to Garmadon's camp, ready for battle—only to find it empty.

The weapon was gone, the white light was gone, and not a single stone warrior was left. Enormous caterpillar tracks snaked out of the gate, mowed down the forest, and pointed towards the beach—towards Ninjago.

Lloyd had led the charge down that path until he heard one pair of footsteps slow, pause, and then turn back. Lloyd looked over his shoulder; it was Zane.

"Father!" Zane ran back to where Dr. Julien crouched, hands on his knees and panting.

Lloyd wasn't going to leave him alone again. He ran back to make sure the doc was okay.

Dr. Julien wheezed and pushed himself back up before Zane got there. "You go on without me," he said. "I'm an inventor, not a fighter. I'll only get in the way."

"But what will you do?" Zane asked worriedly.

Dr. Julien smiled and grasped his son's shoulders. "I'll be at the Bounty, waiting for you to come back in one piece." He let his arms fall. "But don't worry—a part of me will always be with you."

That seemed to satisfy Zane. "Be well, Father." The Falcon swooped down to land on his wrist.

Julien smiled back, eyes twinkling. "Be safe."

Zane ran back to the others, then paused and turned to wave goodbye.

Dr. Julien waved back to them all.

And all of the sudden, Lloyd could see exactly what he and his dad could have been all along. He set his jaw. Just because _he_ didn't get that happy ending shouldn't mean they couldn't.

"I swear I'll bring him back for you," he whispered, glancing up at Julien one last time. "I promise."

* * *

They met with Garmadon, the Overlord, and their army on the beach. They had Nya. They had Nya, and they'd turned her evil, with sickly grey skin and purple eyes like a zombie that moved fast and could hit like lightning.

They had Lloyd's dad—well, the Overlord did. And it possessed him. Turned him into some four-armed reptilian menace with huge teeth and claws. Garmadon tried to fight it, tried not to let it hurt Lloyd.

Lloyd still felt the chill in his bones when Garmadon couldn't struggle anymore, and the Overlord hissed, "Your father...is _gone!_ "

The Unspeakable Weapon fired missiles of dark matter that hit Ninjago time and again and poisoned it, turning it evil so that the balance was shifted to darkness and a portal opened to carry the weapon through to Ninjago.

The Overlord's power was stronger. It held Lloyd and strangled him in a crackling ball of purple energy.

The last thing Lloyd remembered was spinning so violently he couldn't think straight. His head ached. It _hurt_.

He was falling.

 _Thud._

 _. . ._

 _tbc..._

* * *

 **A/N:** **If I've done my calculations right, there's just one more chapter to go before we get back to the good stuff. Hang on until we're over the hump, guys.**

 **Reviews are. . .**

 **. . .**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Lloyd is back! A longer than usual chapter today to make up for the wait.**

* * *

Lloyd was vaguely aware by the pressure and the silt in his hair that he was lying on his back. The waves lapped quietly on the shore, and the wind rushed gently through the trees.

Everything hurt. His head felt like it'd been hit by a rock. Lloyd rolled his head slowly to one side, and then to the other, struggling to open his eyes.

His mom was close by his side, then Uncle Wu beside her, and Zane at his feet. With a groan, Lloyd pushed himself slowly until he sat up. His head still spun.

"Did I...did I win?" His voice sounded so weak. It didn't even feel like it was coming from him.

"No," Wu answered. "But you're alive."

Jay and Misako helped him to his feet. Lloyd stumbled as the beach swam in front of his eyes. He tried to step forward.

"But...the prophecy..." The second he put his weight on his right leg, pain lanced up through it from the shin, and he stumbled and fell on his face with a groan.

"Easy, kid!" exclaimed Jay as he and Misako helped him back up. "You've been through a lot."

Lloyd leaned on them and stood up, panting. "My leg..." He limped towards the shore, trying not to put too much weight on the right side. Dark clouds hung over the ocean, almost turning it to night over the spire rocks offshore.

"Did we lose the final battle?" he asked miserably.

Wu came to his side. "What's important is...we didn't lose you."

Lloyd hung his head. So they had lost. All of that buildup, all of the preparation, all of the worrying and the heartache—and they'd lost.

A piece of driftwood lay broken in the sand at his feet. Painted on it was a crude outline of the sun.

"The symbol for destiny..." Lloyd remembered the pictogram from Wu's lessons. How strange that it should show up here, after everything seemed lost.

He picked up the piece of driftwood and held it out in front of him. It couldn't have been a coincidence that this showed up here, now. "Destiny showed us who was stronger today," he said, feeling years older than he was.

The others stepped towards him. To see the symbol? To offer comfort? He wasn't sure.

"But..." Something else had occurred to Lloyd. He remembered Uncle Wu saying that with destiny, nothing happened by accident. If Ninjago was really lost, then her defenders wouldn't be around to protect it. There had to be a reason they were still breathing. He looked out over the ocean. "Destiny also wanted us around to fight another day."

Cole put his hand on Lloyd's shoulder. Everyone else had already gathered around him.

There was hope. There had to be. The forces of darkness had most of the pieces, but not all of them—not yet.

The shape of Ninjago's hills and mountains wasn't even visible across the sea. "We didn't lose the battle," Lloyd said quietly. "Today, we just lost the fight."

He turned, still tired, and looked over his shoulder. A familiar red ship was crashed on the sand in a purple smoldering mess. He felt his eyebrows lower. "What happened to the Bounty?"

"The doctor flew it into the path of a missile from the Ultimate Weapon that was aimed at you," Misako answered.

"You were almost evil-ified, Lloyd!" cried Jay. "That's not good. That's like the opposite of good!"

Lloyd turned to Dr. Julien, who stood near Misako looking humble and embarrassed.

"How did you-?" Lloyd asked. He stepped toward the doc before a pain shot up his right leg. "Argh!" He collapsed onto the sand.

Misako and the guys were at his side in an instant, and Dr. Julien knelt beside him to search the bone with his fingers.

"Not again," said Jay. "I told you to take it easy!"

"What's up with this, anyway?" Kai asked Julien. "If he got a little banged up, shouldn't it have worn off by now?"

"Oh, I'm afraid it's not that simple. This looks like a bad sprain," answered Julien.

"A _sprain_?" Lloyd asked, feeling his face scrunch up.

"The way that thing handled you back there, it could have been much worse," the doc said quietly.

Lloyd couldn't help but resent the fact that he'd called his father "that thing".

Julien looked up at the older boys. "Is there a medical kit on board the ship?"

"Well, there _was_ , but the ship's almost all gone now," answered Cole, waving at the Bounty—or what was left of it.

Kai grunted. "C'mon, it's _Lloyd_. We've got to give it a shot. Let's go." He led the charge, and Cole and Jay leaped after him, carefully skirting around every spreading puddle of blackness on the deck.

Zane stayed behind, rubbing his palms together. Lloyd could see a cold mist spreading from between his fingers. "Would a cold press help with the swelling?" he asked Julien.

"Yes, thank you," the doc answered. "But be gentle."

Zane knelt beside Lloyd. "Let me know if this hurts," he said quietly.

Lloyd nodded, and Zane gently folded his hands over his bad shin. The touch stung anyway. Lloyd bit his tongue and tried not to make any noise.

He wanted to believe it wasn't over yet. But things weren't looking too hot now, either.

* * *

Thankfully, the guys found a roll of cast tape that hadn't been corrupted—and no one got hurt doing it. The dark clouds had moved offshore over Ninjago, and the sun shone bright as it should on an early afternoon.

Lloyd sat on the sand, waiting for Dr. Julien to finish wrapping up his leg in the cloth tape. He figured he should say something while it was just the two of them alone, but he was having trouble finding the words.

What are you supposed to say to the person who risked his life to save yours?

"Almost finished," the doc announced, sounding pretty proud of himself, as he neared the end of the tape. "It's not the sturdiest thing ever, but it should help keep the joints in place for you."

Lloyd looked down at the fat white case on his his leg. He couldn't help but wonder how a robotics nerd knew how to pilot a flying ship and wrap a sprained leg.

He looked back up. "Can I still fight?" he asked, almost fearing the answer.

Julien clucked his tongue. "Hm, I'm sorry. That leg will take weeks to heal."

"We don't have _weeks_!" cried Lloyd, his mind already whirling, and in his panic, he pulled a muscle in his bad leg. "Ow!"

"Easy, there," the doc said worriedly.

Lloyd huffed as he got to the end of the tape and clipped the loose end into place. "Get me up," Lloyd said.

"What has you in such a rush?" asked Julien, but he offered his shoulder anyway.

Lloyd leaned on him to stand, making sure to keep the bad leg lifted. "We have to find a way back to the fight. I've messed up twice already, and it keeps costing us more. First Nya—"

Julien winced, a flicker of sadness ghosting across his face.

Lloyd stopped. He remembered how close they'd gotten, and figured it was probably a sore spot for him. "And then the villages in Ninjago..." He shifted his arm on Julien's shoulders so that he could hold it easier and started walking. "If I mess up again, it could doom the whole world. But if I win, then I can save it."

"Even if we could get back to the battle, it would take a miracle to win with an injury like that," retorted the doc. "I'm sorry, but if you want to make your chances best, I suggest you rest. You're not in fighting shape."

"And what if we don't have that time?" Lloyd asked, glaring at him.

Julien looked at him in surprise, and then frowned in thought.

Lloyd leaned on him a little heavier to adjust his weight. They were getting close to the shore where the others stood talking.

Lloyd's voice fell. "All this time, I hoped I could do this without hurting my dad." He felt tears in his eyes, but he held them back and clenched his fists. "But the Overlord already did. All it's going to take now for evil to win is that we do nothing."

Julien was quiet. "I think you're right."

Lloyd set his jaw. "I know I'm right. We've got to take the fight to them."

They were just a few steps away now.

"Oh, and...Julien?" Lloyd felt much smaller than he was.

"Hm?"

"About the, uh, the ship thing...thank you."

Lloyd felt his face burning. _What? That's it? He saved your life and that's all you have to say?_

Dr. Julien looked at him with a grin, blue eyes twinkling behind his glasses. "You're welcome," he said.

Lloyd smiled back.

Apparently that was enough after all.

* * *

Lloyd couldn't believe what he was hearing. Kai had been ranting and throwing rocks into the water—that much wasn't hard to believe—but it was everyone else who sat in the sand staring helplessly across the ocean who were saying the crazy stuff.

Zane acted like Nya was gone forever when he said, "Perhaps it's best that we remember our friends as they are in our hearts, not as they are now."

Misako acted like the only chance for their family was in the past when she told Lloyd, "You father loved you! It was the evil of the Great Devourer that corrupted him."

And Sensei acted like everything was lost when Kai asked desperately how the prophecy could have been wrong—how the Green Ninja could have lost—and Wu answered, "I...don't know."

"Don't know?" Jay had cried. "You're Sensei! You always know. You have a long white beard!"

"There must be some message to learn. A lesson. A word of wisdom. Just the word?" Kai pleaded. "Something."

"For once," Uncle Wu had said with a sigh, "I'm afraid there is nothing to learn. Only that...evil has won."

And that's were Lloyd found himself, leaning on the shoulders of a friend, looking out with the others at the purple clouds of evil swelling over unreachable Ninjago in the distance—and unlike them, feeling his blood boil.

No. This couldn't be the end.

Not today.

"If Sensei doesn't have a lesson, then _I_ do," he blurted, and suddenly every eye was turned on him in surprise. Lloyd tried to pace the beach to collect his thoughts, but he ended up slipping off of Dr. Julien's shoulder and hopping across the sand on his good leg instead.

"I used to be nothing but trouble," he said, letting his mind slip back to when he harassed villagers and made deals with treacherous snakes for fun, "but then I met you guys. You took me in," he said with a chuckle, thinking of their first weeks and months together.

"You showed me the importance of being brave, the importance of being strong." He pounded his chest with the side of his fist. "And most importantly, being _good._ "

The sand was uneven, and without thinking Lloyd put his right foot down to keep his balance. Pain lanced up through it, and he winced with a groan. He'd press through. His thoughts were coming more easily now, and he could hop back to the others and look them all in the eye one by one.

"When this battle first began," he said, looking at his friends, his mentors, "when the First Spinjitsu Master fought the Overlord, and his back was up against the wall and he knew it was all over, did he _quit?_ " Quit like they were going to? Give up like they seemed so willing to do?

"No." They all knew this story. "He found a way to keep the fight going. He passed his elemental powers to us. Of all people, a bunch of kids!"

He paused and looked around at Cole, Kai, Zane, Jay, as they stared back at him—holders of the elements, just like him. Just kids. Older than him, yeah, but at the end of the day, they were just a bunch of scared, stubborn...really brave kids.

"But there must have been a _reason_ he chose us. I'd like to think it's because he know we'd never back down," he cried, pushing his fist to the sky, "we'd never give up! We've learned the ancient ways of the ninja, and ninja never quit!"

"He's right!" said Kai. "If that means we have to swim off the sea to get off this island, then so be it!" And with that, he marched into the water.

Well, his intentions were in the right place. He hardly got waist deep in; the boys ended up flying off the island on an ancient mech hidden away in the Temple of Light instead, and the ninja's dragons showed up—fused together into the Ultra Dragon—to carry Uncle Wu, Misako, and Dr. Julien.

But Kai got one thing right. They'd never quit. Not if they had to swim across every ocean, climb up every mountain, and face every danger that evil could dream up with only their courage and a sword.

They wouldn't give up.

Not until they'd won, or they died trying.

 _tbc..._

* * *

 **A/N: Next time, for the return of the Big G.**

 **Reviews are never giving up.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: This WOULD be the happy ending for the Garmadon family if SOMEONE *glares at Misako* wasn't a DUMPSTER FIRE who required calling out. Angst ahead. You've been warned.**

* * *

It was over.

The Golden Power came all at once. Lloyd could never have expected it—it made him forget himself, and at the same time feel unbelievable courage and excitement, to be wrapped up in the bright golden light that lifted him right off his feet and healed every ache and pain in his body with a rush.

He faced down the Overlord unafraid, because for the first time, it wasn't his unstable and limited power against unmatchable evil, but he was a tiny channel for something far bigger, far more powerful than himself.

The Overlord roared in defeat as it dissipated in a flash of white light. The black haze on Ninjago fled away with a blinding white wash, and everything looked clean and new and young.

Free.

They were free.

Somewhere on the field where the tower had been, Cole helped Zane to his feet and hugged him fiercely. Kai and Jay ran to Nya's side—she was back to normal, to Lloyd's relief—and they both hugged her at once.

The Ultra Dragon landed and Dr. Julien slid off its back, assisted by Misako and whooping with laughter. Dareth joined the rest, raving about how well they'd all done—together.

Lloyd saw it all from the sky. He floated down on a golden dragon summoned by his own new powers, and was greeted with shouts of his name and cheers from his friends.

They gathered together. They laughed. They bantered. They congratulated Lloyd.

And just like that, Lloyd realized that his dad was dead.

He'd killed him.

It had been easier than he'd thought it would be. The giant purple abomination of a dragon taunting him on top of the skyscraper had been easy to think of as the embodiment of evil and something that had to be defeated.

But now—it hit him that his _dad_ was inside that monster. Now...he was dead. And it was Lloyd's fault.

Misako seemed to catch his expression. She set her hand on his shoulder and whispered, "We'll all miss your father."

How did she always seem to know what he was thinking?

He hadn't come to tears—yet. He knew they'd be coming once it sunk in. Lloyd searched his mom's face for comfort—something, _anything_ to make this any easier. He found nothing, and felt his head drop.

Misako gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear.

Lloyd ignored the scraping and clattering of rubble behind him until an eerily familiar voice rasped, "Lloyd."

The pressure at the back of Lloyd's eyes suddenly disappeared. He, Misako, and Uncle Wu turned to look. A man was limping toward them—all authority and stoicism, with grey hair, subtle wrinkles, and a black robe with purple lining and a golden dragon curling on the back.

Wait.

The stranger looked around. "What...what happened?" he asked.

That _voice_.

"Garmadon..." Misako's voice was hardly above a whisper. "Is it really you?" She didn't sound so sure.

Lloyd didn't have a doubt.

For a moment, they all stood frozen—the stranger looking at them, they all looking at him. Lloyd couldn't get his leaden feet to move. His voice stuck in his throat.

"Dad?" he finally croaked. He felt a smile spreading on his face.

The tiny laugh that came out of him was half a sob. " _Dad!_ " He practically screamed it, and ran towards the man, almost bowling him over in a hug.

It was the grin that convinced him. Sharp teeth and black skin aside, no one but his dad had ever smiled at him quite like _that_.

Misako's voice was full of emotion too. "Every ounce of evil and venom is...gone." She wrapped her arms around them both.

Lloyd couldn't hear what was said next until he caught Jay's quip, "Should we dogpile 'em?" He kind of hoped they wouldn't, but he couldn't pay attention to anything beyond the weight of Garmadon's arm on his shoulders and the warmth of his mom and dad on either side...

His family.

Lloyd could feel the tears he'd held back dripping off of his face and onto his dad's robe, but he didn't care. The three of them moved off to a quieter part of the field, leaving the others behind.

"I can't believe you're alive," Lloyd gasped out as he grabbed the front of his dad's robe, giddy with joy. "I didn't hurt you. I didn't...!"

He'd saved the world, _and_ his dad was okay. It was more than he could ask for.

Garmadon chuckled. "Well, I don't know about that." He pressed his hand against his lower spine as he went on, "You sure did a number on—"

Lloyd felt his face drop in horror. No, no...he'd blown up the Overlord, but it had hurt Garmadon? How bad was the damage? Was he okay?

Garmadon stopped. His gaze seemed to be digging into Lloyd, picking apart each of his thoughts and examining them closely. Lloyd would have felt uncomfortable under a look like that—if he didn't know the man behind it.

The scrutinizing look on Garmadon's face spread into a warm smile. "No. No, you didn't hurt me." And then, he was hugging Lloyd again. "You saved me. Thank you."

Lloyd buried his face in Garmadon's collar. "I love you, Dad," he choked out. Man, oh man, had he ever been waiting a long time to say that.

"I love you too, son," was the answer.

For all the millions of times Lloyd had imagined it, he couldn't have imagined how good it felt to hear.

Misako took Garmadon's hands in hers. "Now our family can return to how it was," she said with a smile. "How it was always meant to be,"

Garmadon's smile back at her looked...tight. Almost forced. The man brushed his thumb over Lloyd's cheek, pushing away a tear. "Lloyd, I'm sorry," he said gently. "Could you give your mother and me a minute?"

Lloyd couldn't hold back his surprise. He felt a little hurt. It didn't look like his mom and dad were just going to kiss or something. What didn't they want him to see?

"Oh. Okay," was all Lloyd said, and then he walked as far away as he dared to leap up one of the spires of rock left by the Overlord's tower. His curiosity was still nagging at him—and to be honest, he didn't get completely out of earshot. At all.

"What is this about, Garmadon?" asked Misako.

"I think you have a very good idea," the man answered gruffly.

Lloyd risked a glance over his shoulder. Garmadon stood with his back to Lloyd, hands on his hips, and Misako faced him with her arms crossed.

"It had better not be about the helmet," she said.

"No, no, not just about the helmet," sputtered Garmadon, "but it's the _principle_ of the thing. You tricked me, Misako." He sounded hurt.

"I did what I had to to stop you." Anger flashed in her calm eyes like fire in a pool of water. It was like she still saw him as evil...

"But it was betrayal nonetheless!" he cried. "Misako, I opened up to you. I _trusted_ you."

She stepped back, head turned to her shoulder, shaking it slightly. "I couldn't negotiate," she said. "There was no redeeming you while evil was still in your veins."

Even without seeing his face, Lloyd could tell Garmadon was enraged. His voice was deathly quiet. "Is that what you told yourself when you got so close to _Wu?!_ "

The last word was _shouted_ , and Garmadon stepped up and towered over Misako. She cried out in fright, lifting her arm over her head.

Lloyd sat bolt upright, his eyes wide and frantic. A thousand things blasted through his head at once—the day Misako watched Wu leave with the buckets, how his dad would feel about that, the fact that his mom was in danger, panic, anger, was he going to have to fight his dad _again—_?

Garmadon growled and staggered backwards, one hand to his face. He shook his head, panting, and croaked out in a different voice, "I'm...I'm sorry. I shouldn't—" He pressed both heels of his palms to his eyes and bent over.

He looked so _broken_. Frustrated, angry, and confused.

Garmadon stood up a little straighter. His voice was thick with anger and emotion. "I will do my best," he said. "But let me be clear—there is no simply _going back_ to the way things were. Not anymore."

Misako, her hands clasped and fidgeting a little in front of her, nodded. "I understand."

Lloyd...didn't know how to feel. On one hand, the danger was over—but _what_ had he just watched?

Garmadon lifted his head and sighed. "I know you heard that, Lloyd. What do you think?" he asked, turning to face him.

Lloyd opened his mouth to answer, but the words caught in his throat. Tears pushed at his eyes, and he bit his lip to keep them back.

Garmadon's expression was compassionate and sad. "Come down."

Lloyd leaped nimbly from one rock to the other, even as his vision began to blur. He stumbled into his dad's arms, guided by the warmth, and clutched onto Garmadon's robe as the man hugged him back.

"W-what do you mean by that?" Lloyd's voice sounded horribly unsteady.

"Mean by what?" asked Garmadon.

It was almost too painful to say. "'Th-there's no going back to how it was'..."

"Oh, no no no, Lloyd, that's just between your mother and me!" cried Garmadon. He took Lloyd's chin in his hands and gently turned his face upward.

It didn't hurt any less. Lloyd could feel wet tracks carving down his face.

Garmadon opened and shut his mouth a few times, as if he couldn't find the words he was looking for. He gave a humorless laugh. "You know," he tried to joke, "if we really went back to how it was, you and I, I'd be going back to the Underworld and you'd be—" Horror overcame his expression for a second.

Then he covered it with affection and wiped Lloyd's tears. "Listen, Lloyd," he pleaded, "I can be here for you now. I'm beginning to realize that, save for my banishment, I always _could_ be. That was my fault." His voice was low, almost a pained whisper. "I'm so _sorry_."

Lloyd couldn't stop himself from all-out crying. It was pathetic, the little hiccuping sobs, but he couldn't stop them.

Garmadon pushed Lloyd's head down and under his chin and murmured, "You're not in any danger from me anymore. I _can_ be here for you, and I _will_." He sounded almost hurt as he went on, "I can't promise much to you...not as much as you deserve...but I promise to do my _best_."

Lloyd gave a little sniff and tried to smile. It wasn't really the words, but what his dad meant, that made him feel better. "Th-that's all I want," he stammered, leaning on his dad's shoulder to smile up at his face.

He just wanted a father. It had been far, far too long.

Garmadon, for his part, looked like he wanted just as much to laugh as to cry. He kissed Lloyd on the head, held him close for one more moment, and then spun him around to face Misako, wrapping his arms firmly around Lloyd's chest and planting his chin on Lloyd's head. (It still boggled Lloyd that he seemed to be the only person still tall enough to do that.)

"And what can your dear mom promise you, then?" asked Garmadon. His words sounded pointed—but not at Lloyd.

Misako glanced over Lloyd's head to shoot an unsure look at Garmadon. Lloyd felt unbelievably uncomfortable. On one hand, he was getting a hug. On the other hand, his parents were fighting, and he was stuck right in between them.

Misako sighed and gave a strained laugh. "Well, it will be hard to show your father up," she said, warmly (and somehow still pointedly) addressing Lloyd. She stepped forward. "I...do still have my job. But I promise to be there for you as much as I can too."

Lloyd smiled at her. He didn't want her to feel any worse than she already did. "Thanks, mom."

She pulled him down gently by his shoulder so that she could kiss the top of his head.

A commotion back by the main group made the three look up in surprise, and Garmadon released Lloyd.

Lloyd could see in the distance that the guys, Nya, Uncle Wu, and Dr. Julien were posing in front of a camera on a tripod and urging Dareth to run to join them after he pressed the shutter button. Dareth...wasn't getting there very fast, although he ran with all his might. It was all kind of funny, actually.

Misako turned to Lloyd, a sweet (and, considering everything, uncanny) smile on her face. "Shall we join them?" she asked.

Lloyd...didn't feel too sure about that. He hesitated. "G-give me a minute," he said, not meeting her eyes.

He saw out of the corner of his eye that she gave him a sympathetic frown, then looked up at Garmadon—and whatever she saw there made her leave immediately.

Garmadon stood in his place while Lloyd walked to the edge of the overhang of rubble on which they'd been standing. After a moment, Lloyd heard his footsteps turn and follow Misako's too.

Lloyd just stood there for a while, looking at the quiet and rubble-lined city streets below, and feeling the gentle wind messing with his hair. He figured he should try to think his way though his emotions, but he was just coming up blank.

All he knew was that he loved his mom and dad. He had already forgiven them for everything. All he knew was that they didn't want to forgive each other. Try as they might to assure him it wasn't his fault, or really about him at all, he felt absolutely terrible that he could save all of Ninjago—but apparently, not his mom and dad's marriage.

He let out a heavy sigh. Maybe he should just forget about it and celebrate with the guys for now. That would be easier. Simple.

Still...somehow he knew that forgetting about this wouldn't make it go away.

He kicked a rock and watched it skitter down the side of the overhang— _click, click, click_ —before he turned and walked back towards the others.

 _Saved the world and still walking places_ , he thought.

Some movement caught his eye as he passed one of the spires. Sitting at the base of the column of rock was Garmadon, chin in hand and apparently deep in thought, but he looked up when Lloyd almost bumped into him.

"Oh." Lloyd felt a small smile rising in his chest in spite of himself. "What are you doing here?" There wasn't any judgment in the question, just curiosity.

Garmadon cleared his throat and stood to his feet, dusting himself off. "Well, you asked for some privacy," he answered gruffly, "but I didn't want you to be _entirely_ alone for the walk down—you know, if you didn't mind the company—er, that is—"

Lloyd's smile came right out of his chest and onto his face. He let it.

"Lloyd..." The serious tone in Garmadon's voice wiped that smile right away. Garmadon took a deep breath and went on. "I'm so sorry I shouted at your mother in front of you. That was wrong of me."

Lloyd blinked in surprise and shrugged. "It's fine," he said. "You asked me to leave anyway."

"I'm not asking you to make _excuses_ for me." Garmadon's voice suddenly went hard, and he pulled Lloyd closer by his shoulder. "I'm asking you to forgive me."

Lloyd bit back a squeak, staring full on into green eyes just like his own. "Y-yeah. I forgive you," he stammered.

Garmadon did that thing were he searched Lloyd's brain though his expression again, and then—the older man gave Lloyd a timid smile.

Whoa. Now _that_ was different. A grown-up worried what Lloyd would think of _him_.

Lloyd smiled and bumped his shoulder against Garmadon's, urging his dad to follow him. "C'mon," he said, walking ahead. "Let's not keep them waiting."

Garmadon looked like a deer caught in the headlights for a second before he followed Lloyd. "You've got a lot on your mind," he remarked. The words were gentle, even if the tone wasn't. "Sure you'll be able to muster a smile worthy of a photograph?"

Lloyd tossed him a small smirk over his shoulder. "I think I'll manage."

He was the Gold Ninja, after all. He'd done harder things.

 _tbc..._

* * *

 **A/N: I think this is the first time I've ever felt compelled to say this.**

 **I love Lloyd.**

 **I do. I love him.**

 **I've done it! Writing this fic has successfully made me fonder of a fictional character than I was before!**

 **Doesn't change my hatred for Misako, though.**

 **Reviews are reunions. The good kind.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: *unceremoniously dumps this here before I run to church***

* * *

"Everybody say 'cheese'!" Dareth crowed from his perch on Cole's shoulders.

"Cheese!" everyone chorused. Lloyd mustered the best smile he could. The camera flashed, and after comically tumbling off of Cole's shoulders (he sprung up in a "crouching anteater" pose and insisted that it was intentional), Dareth ran to get the picture as it printed out.

"Bon-a-fide!" Dareth sure sounded proud of himself. He returned, waving the colorful rectangle of paper in the air, and showed it to the others with a smirk. "It's actually kind of in focus this time."

Jay popped up from where he'd posed on the ground and took the picture first. He clicked his tongue angrily. "Aw, Zane, you blinked!"

"C'mon, man, that's our best one yet," Kai protested, glancing over Jay's shoulder.

"I'm with Kai," Cole said, massaging and rolling his shoulders. He wore a wide grin, and Lloyd suspected he was just showing off instead of actually uncomfortable after carrying Dareth. "We've been standing here for like, an hour. I mean, we just _saved Ninjago!_ Let's party!" He swung Lloyd up on his shoulder like he was a feather pillow.

"Whoa!" Lloyd laughed, tottering first front and then back, trying not to fall off like Dareth did.

"Admit it, Cole." Zane stood beside his father further down the line, but he pointed at the earth ninja with a sly smirk. " _You_ just want cake."

"After what we did here today," Cole said with a grin up at Lloyd, who'd found his balance, "I think we deserve cake. Who's with me?!"

"I am!" Kai yelled.

"Aye!" Jay's hand shot into the air.

"Definitely!" Lloyd said with a laugh.

Even the Ultra Dragon lifted its heads and growled at the sky, and the rest of the group made their approval loud and clear.

"Party at my place!" Cole pumped his free fist in the air, then jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. "My dad lives not too far from here."

Lloyd leaned forward and slid off of his arm as Cole started walking.

"Is he gonna mind us gate-crashing like this?" asked Nya.

"You kidding?" answered Cole. "He'd _kill_ to have the quartet over to celebrate."

"Hm, now we _could_ use some good music," muttered Uncle Wu, a smile hidden under his straw hat and beard, as he joined the others in trooping after Cole. They all started to chatter and laugh, passing around the helmet that Dareth had worn for the picture.

Lloyd spared a glance over his shoulder. His mom and dad still stood where they had at the end of the line, Garmadon slightly behind Misako. The man held a neutral look at Misako and raised an eyebrow. She gave him a soft, sad frown in return.

Lloyd could hardly find his voice. "Mom?" he asked timidly. Man, those names still felt weird to say. "Dad?"

Garmadon shut his eyes and sighed. He looked like he was holding back a laugh. "Don't worry about us, son," he said, turning to Lloyd.

"Today is for you." Misako stepped forward and cupped Lloyd's face in her hands. "Go celebrate with your friends. We'll be fine."

Lloyd's smile was thankfully a bit more confident than he was. "Okay," he said. "If you're sure."

"We're sure." Misako kissed him on the head and let him go.

Lloyd looked down the street at his brothers and friends headed in a pack towards Lou's house. They took turns leaping over cracks in left the asphalt and both helping civilians to their feet and accepting their thanks.

Lloyd followed slowly after the group, trying not to drag his feet.

"Lloyd!"

Lloyd felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He turned to face his dad.

Garmadon had that look of authority again, but he had a small smirk on his face. "Good job _defeating me_." He pronounced it very precisely. "I'm _proud_ of you."

Lloyd couldn't help but grin and laugh a little. "Add that to the list of things no one expects their dad to say," he said, twirling his finger in the air.

Garmadon chuckled. "Go have fun." The authority was back, but it was kinder. "We'll catch up."

"Okay," Lloyd called over his shoulder. "Don't take too long!" And with that, he ran down the street.

* * *

"S'cuse me—sorry. Can I get through here?"

Lloyd could tell which one Cole's dad's house was, even after his brothers had gone inside, by the reporters swarming the front door. Lloyd struggled for footpace between them and pushed some people aside—

"Lloyd Garmadon!"

"Green ninja!"

—until they realized who he was. Lloyd grunted when his back hit the wall. He squinted to see through the bright flashes of cameras and microphones in his face.

"What was that thing on top of Ninjago City Tower?"

"Any thoughts on the recent black storm that overtook Ninjago?"

"Bystanders witnessed an unidentified golden dragon in the last half of the battle. Do you have any information?"

"How does it feel to have saved the world?"

"Lloyd! Look here! Lloyd Garmadon!"

"All right, _get outta here!_ " boomed a new voice that...actually wasn't all that deep or loud, for all the authority it carried. "Can't a fella have a party without the groupies showin' up? Out!" A waving cane bopped a few of the reporters and cameramen on the head, and the rest of them shrank away in fear. Cole's dad Lou popped out the front door and grabbed Lloyd's arm. "Lloyd, follow me!"

He pulled him inside and shut and bolted the door. Lloyd could hear the reporters thumping on the wood.

"Ugh! Dirty news mongers!" scoffed Lou, dusting off his suit while Lloyd leaned on his knees tried to catch his breath. "Don't mind them, son. Folks just get excited around us celebrity types. We were positively swarmed, the quartet and I, when we used to go out in our heyday! I oughta tell you boys all about it some time."

Lloyd finally exhaled and stood up straighter. He used to wonder where Cole got the authority in his voice—not anymore. "Thanks for the rescue," he said and looked around the empty house. There was a photo of Lou with the four older boys hanging in a prominent place on the living room wall, and Lloyd had to smile. "Where _is_ everybody?"

"Setting things up out back," replied Lou. "Why, if I'd a' known you were throwing a saving-the-world party, I would have called ahead for decorations! But a spur-of-the-moment bash will do just the same."

"Good to see you made it, nephew," remarked a new voice.

"Sensei!" Wu had appeared, eyes hidden by the straw hat, Lloyd rushed toward him. "You should have seen those reporters! They were asking me so many questions, I-I could hardly breathe."

"I know. Ninjago wants to know the details of her rescue," answered Wu. "Since you now possess the Golden Power, Lloyd, I will warn you that they will want to speak to you most of all. But all of those answers can wait. For now—we party."

Wu produced a purple polka-dotted party hat from who knows where, attached it to the top of his straw hat, winked at Lloyd, and walked away.

Lloyd stared after him, and then looked helplessly at Lou.

"Eccentric, as I always say," muttered Lou, rubbing his mustache thoughtfully.

"You're telling me." Lloyd allowed himself a chuckle.

* * *

Lou's backyard was decked out with lights, streamers, snack tables, and an open space for dancing before Lloyd could have said "possession by the overlord". Everything looked amazing.

Garmadon and Misako did catch up eventually. They mingled with the other grown-ups and didn't seem so mad at each other that they couldn't have a good time. Lloyd let out the breath he didn't know he was holding.

Lloyd wanted to take the opportunity offered by the party to bond with his dad a little more. But over what? The only thing had to be proud of was defeating him, which almost killed him...and judging by Garmadon's tight smile whenever anyone brought it up at the party, it wasn't exactly a comfortable topic for him either, in spite of his joke earlier.

Lloyd found out that talking to his dad was hard. Harder than talking to his mom, at least, and _way_ harder than it should have been. No matter when Lloyd tried to approach him, Garmadon always seeming to be thinking about something more important than whatever Lloyd had to say. It was intimidating, to say the least.

But while he was in Lou's backyard, Lloyd could fool around with blades of grass (as long as Lou didn't see him messing up the lawn), run over to Dr. Julien, and show him the latest notes that he could play on the whistle, and Julien would immediately grin and praise him. He could start talking about the issues of Fritz Donegan that the doc had missed, and Julien would pay attention to him the whole way through.

Lloyd knew that the easy way isn't always the best. He knew that he probably shouldn't compare one grown-up to another.

But he _did_ compare them, and being a friend was easier than being a son, talking to Misako was easier than talking to Garmadon _—_ and dealing with Zane's dad was easier than dealing with his own father.

Well, at least it _was,_ until Cole put his music on. Lou had stuck a pillow against both sides of his head and went back indoors, ranting about kids and their recycled beats and lack of imagination, but he didn't seem all that mad. The other guys and Nya had started dancing, and Lloyd joined in.

That's when Dr. Julien, who'd stood talking to Garmadon by the punch bowl, suddenly dragged Garmadon right into the middle of the makeshift dance floor and then disappeared. Garmadon almost ran straight into Lloyd.

Lloyd stared up at his dad. Garmadon stared down at him. Lloyd shrugged helplessly and then did his best to keep time with the aggravatingly catchy pop beat that Cole was obviously blasting to annoy Mr. Lou on purpose.

And then, something happened that Lloyd would never have believed _could_ happen in a million years.

Garmadon awkwardly started to dance too.

Lloyd thought he'd suffocate from laughter.

 _tbc..._

* * *

 **A/N: Look who finally remembered that this is supposed to be a fluff fic! I liked The Night Ninja's idea so much that I at least had to give it a passing mention. Julien's advice to Garmadon: loosen up and have some fun.**

 **Dumping father and son into an awkward and embarrassing bonding experience is exactly how Zane tries to repair Cole and Lou's relationship in Dear Dad.** **I think I know where he gets it from.**

 **Reviews are impromptu dance parties.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: *excited screech* This is it! The penultimate chapter, the piece de resistance! The end before the encore! I'm so excited. Lloyd's "slip up" at the end of this conversation was the idea of echojulien on tumblr, who gave me permission to use it here. ;-)**

* * *

Lloyd was almost out of breath from dancing when he collapsed next to Dr. Julien, laughing his head off. The doc had been sitting in a cushioned porch chair by Lou's house and sketching something for the past half hour, and he looked up and grinned when Lloyd appeared.

"Why—why did you make him do that?" Lloyd wheezed.

There was a mischievous glint in the doc's glasses. "Do what?"

"Dance! He almost died of embarrassment!" Lloyd laughed harder and rolled, holding his sides, and almost fell off the chair.

Dr. Julien started chuckling himself. "Well, I did it because _someone_ said he wanted to spend more time with you!"

Lloyd's laughter went quiet. He sat up straighter and looked at Julien, a little unsure. "He said that?"

"Why, not in so many words, I suppose," Julien answered, "but...yes."

Lloyd tried to smile. "Oh. That's nice."

Julien's blue eyes narrowed. He seemed to be trying to read Lloyd's expression—and unlike Garmadon, having a hard time of it. "Something the matter?"

"No!" blurted Lloyd. "I—well—" He didn't feel good lying to Julien, so he just let out a huff, crossed his arms, and said, "He fought with my mom earlier."

Julien stiffened in surprise. "Oh, dear. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Lloyd pulled his heels up onto the edge of the seat and wrapped his arms around his knees. Behind that protective wall, he could peer out and watch everyone else at the party, talking and laughing and enjoying the snacks and music without him.

Julien looked the same way. He was quiet for a little while. "You know...they're celebrating you," he said softly.

Lloyd shook his head. He knew better than that. "No. They're celebrating the victory of good over evil."

He looked over at the older boys trying to douse each other in punch—they'd risked their lives to get him up the Overlord's tower. And Dareth, who gestured grandly in the air as he told some elaborate story—he'd redirected the Stone Army for the forces of good just by putting on the helmet.

"I had my part to play, but I wasn't the only one," said Lloyd. "It's just as much their victory as it's mine."

Julien was smiling at him. "As I said. You're very wise."

Lloyd smiled back.

Something about him just made Lloyd feel safe.

Lloyd scooted in his chair to look over the doc's shoulder. On the sketchpad in front of him was an almost lifelike portrait of some spiky-looking flowers.

Lloyd blinked. "Wow. That's really good." He didn't think a mechanics nerd could be that good at drawing.

"Thank you kindly," replied Julien. "I saw them growing wild on the walk here. It's been so long since I've been able to sketch wildlife. Nothing much grew in the birchwood forest, and the island was all rocks..."

Lloyd noticed that he avoided calling it 'the prison', but he didn't bring it up.

"And I just didn't have the time on the Dark Island," the doc went on.

Lloyd nodded. "Cole is pretty good at drawing too," he said, swinging his feet. "I dunno about plants, though. I've only seen him draw people and the golden weapons."

"Really?" The doc pushed his glasses up his nose. "I guess I'll have to trade notes with him sometime."

They didn't say anything else for a while, and Lloyd just settled in to watch Dr. Julien draw. He was starting to feel a little tired from the day's events.

The doc's hand slowed down for a moment, and then he grinned sheepishly and turned to Lloyd. "You'll have to forgive me. Cole is...?"

Lloyd blinked. "The earth ninja," he said.

"Right. The one who wears—?"

Julien asked, "Black?" at the same time Lloyd said, "Black."

"Ah! Good!" exclaimed the doc.

Lloyd started to snicker.

Julien laughed a little himself and tapped his temple. "See, I need a young mind like yours to keep all these names straight."

"I guess we need each other," Lloyd said lightly. And as soon as it was out of his mouth, his grin dropped and turned sad.

The doc had gone back to sketching. Lloyd pulled his knees up to his chest again. "Can I tell you a secret?" he mumbled into his knees.

The doc looked up a little, a question behind his glasses. "If you'd like."

Lloyd slumped down further. "I don't know if my dad needs me," he whispered.

Julien's pencil stopped scratching. He looked up at Lloyd, white eyebrows scrunched together. "Now why in _Ninjago_ would you think that?" he asked quietly.

"I-I know he likes to have me around!" Lloyd stuttered, trying to backtrack. "I know he cares about me. But before, all we had in common was that we didn't want to fight each other, and...and we _did_ , so now what?"

Lloyd looked the other way and went on, "He's got issues with Mom, and I don't know how to help with that. I don't know how to help with _anything_." Slumping a little lower, he muttered, "Besides, they both managed just fine without me before."

Julien wore a look of surprise and some other emotion that Lloyd couldn't read. "I beg your pardon?" he asked. "I was under the impression that your mother cared for you while your father was in exile."

Lloyd shook his head and shrugged. "I kind of just met her a few weeks ago too. I grew up at Darkley's School for Bad Boys."

The doc was giving him that unreadable look again, the one that made Lloyd uncomfortable. He looked away and kept going.

"Anyway. I just don't really know how to talk to my dad. I've tried, but it's hard. I mean, he's the son of the _First Spinjitsu Master_. He even _looks_ scary!" he cried, waving his arms in the air. "What am I supposed to do with that? What if I just get in the way? What if I only remind him of when he was evil and we had to fight all the time? What if Mom and Dad keep fighting and what if it hurts and—"

He buried his face in his arms and shut up.

Julien was absolutely silent beside him.

Lloyd felt the most scared and un-brave he ever had since becoming a ninja. "Don't tell anybody I said that," he muttered.

"I won't say a word." The doc's voice was quiet. Lloyd felt his thin arm drape over his shoulders. "But...may I offer you my thoughts?"

Lloyd didn't say anything, but he lifted his head so that his ears weren't covered by his arms.

Slowly, Julien said, "A wise young man once told me not to focus on the 'what if's, but on what's real."

Lloyd's mind went blank in surprise, and then filled in with a little warmth in his chest. He lifted his head, just enough to see out above his arms.

"What's real is that your father cares about you, Lloyd." Julien smoothed Lloyd's hair away from his eyes. "What's real is that he _does_ need you—now more than ever."

Lloyd frowned. He did want to trust Julien, but... "How would you know?"

"Well, first of all, because I just spoke with him."

Lloyd blinked. "Oh. You did?"

"Yes," answered Julien. "He's very fond of you."

Lloyd felt his face heat up, and he looked away, fidgeting with his green sleeves.

"But I would have been able to tell you anyway," said Julien, pressing a hand to his chest, "because _I'm_ a father. No matter how difficult things are—and how much my son and I have grown differently in our time apart—I'd want to have him close to me."

Lloyd frowned at his feet. "But...it's different, isn't it?"

"I don't think so."

Lloyd gave him a look.

Julien put his hands in the air, the left still holding the pencil. "I'll be honest—I don't know much about evil overlords or this saving the world business. But I know something about families, and I know something about people.

"I know that families don't just separate because it's inconvenient to be together." With a deep, solemn frown, Julien added, "I know it isn't easy to go from being evil to being good again." He put his hand on Lloyd's shoulder and squeezed. "You need to stick together, and your father needs someone good like you to believe in him."

At that, Lloyd straightened up in his chair, a bit of a panic crashing onto him. "But—but _I_ was evil too!" he blurted. He realized too late how loud that was and dropped his voice before the others could hear.

"I was the worst kid at Darkley's," he went on, leaning closer to Julien, "and I released the Serpentine, and _they_ released the Great Devourer. I _wanted_ to be evil, I hurt so many people, I even hurt my dad, I—I did some really _awful_ things, Julien."

He nearly collapsed into the man, gripping the front of his lab coat. Lloyd could feel hot tears pooling in his shut eyes.

For one terrifying second, nothing happened. And then, Julien pushed him upright again, until they were face to face and the blue eyes behind the glasses were just inches from Lloyd's own.

"Then he needs you to believe in him all the more," Julien said firmly, tapping Lloyd's chest over his heart with one finger. "Because you are his son, the closest one to him, and _you_ know what it feels like to change."

Lloyd felt his eyes go wide and his mind go blank. Julien pulled his sketchbook into his lap again and fingered the edge of the paper.

"You all offered forgiveness to me," Julien said, "when I thought I never could have deserved it." He looked up, a gentle smile on his face, and yet there was a sadness there too. "It changed my life. If your father has your forgiveness...he needs to know, as much as I did."

Lloyd was quiet, thinking it over. "How do I do that?"

"Do what, now?"

"Get him to know that...I forgive him," said Lloyd. He wrapped his arms around his knees again, but this time less to hide and more for comfort. "And I wanna be with him, and whatever happens...I still believe in him."

Julien thought about this for a little while. Then his smile brightened. "Why, you talk." And then he went back to sketching.

While Lloyd's mind was still whirling, Julien added, "And work on your dancing, by the way. Cole's father—what's his name?"

"Lou," Lloyd said.

"Lou. Right. Lou says it's terrible."

Lloyd gave a small huff of a laugh. "Cole says that he calls all dancing terrible." He looked up to see his dad standing off to one side alone, more or less left out of the small talk of the rest of the parents.

Lloyd knew what he had to do, even if it wouldn't be easy. _Then again,_ he thought, _what thing worth doing is ever easy?_

Hey, he was the Gold Ninja. He could do this.

Lloyd smiled and leaned over to give Julien a quick hug. "Thanks, Dad."

It wasn't until he'd hopped out of his chair that he realized his mistake, and then he choked on air and his face caught fire.

"Uh—Doc!" he cried, spinning around and waving his hands in apology. "I meant 'doc'!"

Dr. Julien was just staring up at him with a blank look.

Lloyd felt a sudden urge to pull the hoodie strings closed around his face—until he realized that he wasn't wearing a hoodie. "Sorry." He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck.

Julien's awkward grin matched his. "No harm done," he said with a chuckle, but then he suddenly turned serious. "Go do what you need to, Lloyd. Ninja never quit." And with a wink, he went back to sketching.

Lloyd grinned. "Thanks. You're the best." He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, stood up straight and tall, and ran over to Garmadon.

His smile when Lloyd grabbed his arm told him that Julien had been exactly right.

* * *

And that was that. Lloyd never saw much of Julien after that day, between the press tours and ninja training. He fell somewhere between friend, favorite adult, and back-up dad, but Lloyd kept the last one for protest when Julien made a terrible joke or bossed him around a little.

Lloyd was happy to hear that Julien and Zane settled down together in the schoolhouse as Zane took up a teaching job under Wu.

He was a little bit confused when he heard about this "Borg" person, but he figured that if the doc was that excited about partnering with other inventors, he could be happy for him.

He was over the moon when Julien was accepted as a speaker in Ninjago's most prestigious universities.

He was a little bit frightened when he heard that Julien had to go to the hospital.

He canceled all his press meetings, curled up on the edge of his hotel bed, and cried, when he heard that Julien passed away.

The kind old inventor was a good man. Lloyd was happy to have known him, and he'd miss him.

Lloyd came back home to be there for Zane and to say goodbye.

After all, Dr. Julien had been family.

 **The End**

* * *

 **A/N: Stick around for the epilogue, friends.**

 **Reviews are memories.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: This is the end. This one is for Zena Ariale, who wanted Lloyd and Garmadon fluff from the very beginning.**

* * *

 **Epilogue**

Life went on, press meetings blended into press meetings, and Lloyd got some time to breathe in the middle of the whirlwind whenever he visited the guys and Nya at Wu's schoolhouse or went to see his mom and dad. Their relationships grew, little by little, by and by.

He stood beside his father, the tall grass waving around them in a slight breeze, one warm summer morning.

"You know," Garmadon said, looking regally over the grounds of his new dojo, "everything was happening so fast, I never got to ask you…"

Lloyd looked up when his dad trailed off.

Garmadon stepped back and looked Lloyd over, feet to head. "How did you get so tall?" he asked in a new tone. "I swear I was only gone for about five weeks."

Lloyd couldn't help but grin. "Uhh...magic...tea?" he shrugged.

Garmadon shot him a look of surprise. It twitched into a lopsided grin just like Lloyd's, and then the older man broke into soft chuckles that made his shoulders quiver.

Lloyd had hardly started to laugh before he lunged forward and hugged his dad tightly, his head under Garmadon's arm.

Garmadon gave a little huff of a laugh. "Hm. Still doing that, are you?" he asked, pushing Lloyd off of him gently.

"Still doing what?" Lloyd asked, and then he choked on his breath.

His dad had pulled him in for a tight, swallowing hug. Lloyd couldn't breathe.

 _Oh. Oh man. Oh man oh man oh man._ Lloyd freed his arms and wrapped them as tight around his dad's ribs as he could, grabbed fistfuls of his robe, and almost lifted his feet off the ground so that Garmadon could hold him before he remembered what a bad idea that was.

Still, Garmadon had bent over him a little further, and that was even _better_.

Lloyd stuffed his face into the crook of Garmadon's neck and nuzzled against the white fabric of his collar. "I missed you, Dad."

"And I missed you, Lloyd." It rumbled in his chest and sounded so warm.

Lloyd didn't want to let go, never, not ever. Not for all of Ninjago. But one thought did come to him out of the blue, and he muttered into Garmadon's shoulder, "You gave better hugs when you had four arms."

Garmadon yanked backwards for a second, shot a delighted look at Lloyd, then threw his head back and howled in laughter—close to his evil old cackle, but so clean and light and carefree that it was like another person entirely.

Lloyd felt himself shaking, and then whooping, shocked laughter forced his eyes shut. Before he could lean on his knees for balance, Garmadon grabbed him tight, kissed his head, and tucked him under one arm to rub his fist into Lloyd's skull.

"Argh! No! No, not the noogies!" Lloyd protested, squirming and failing to get free.

"Lloyd!"

Lloyd looked up at the new voice calling his name in the distance. "Mom!"

When Garmadon released him, Lloyd ran to hug Misako. She smiled warmly at him and kissed his cheek, which he wiped off with a laugh.

Garmadon wasn't far behind. "Hello, Misako," he said, extremely stiff and civil. "How's work?"

Misako shot him a soft glare, still hugging Lloyd.

Lloyd looked at one, and then the other, and then groaned. "Can we _not_ do this today?"

"Oh, all right," answered Garmadon. "For your day off, I guess we can hold off the age-old rivalry."

"Lloyd, tell your father to stop being dramatic," said Misako, not taking her eyes off of him.

Lloyd gave a stupid grin and leaned on Garmadon. "Dad, Mom says—"

"Yes, yes, I heard," he groused.

Misako gave a warm chuckle.

As they headed towards the front doors of the dojo, Lloyd ran his hands absentmindedly over the tall grass, feeling the tips scratch his palm and fingers a little. He let his thoughts drift, and they started wandering backwards to old adventures and memories...

The shrill sound of a grass whistle made him jump, and he spun around in surprise. Garmadon was standing close behind him, looking skeptically at something in his hands.

"Y-you know how to do that?" asked Lloyd.

"Of course." Garmadon almost sounded offended. "I was one of two children living isolated in a monastery surrounded by nature. Why is everyone so surprised by this?"

"Oh, well...it's just that..." Lloyd couldn't finish. Grass whistles made him think of someone else.

Garmadon was quiet for a moment, but then he offered Lloyd a kind, cautious smile. "Someone told me you enjoy these," he said.

Lloyd stared at him for a moment, letting that sink in. He came out of the funk slowly, and felt himself grin. "Yeah. I-I've been practicing!" He ripped the tip off of a tall blade of grass and began to blow on it.

"Don't puff out your cheeks," instructed Garmadon.

"Right." Lloyd felt a little sheepish. "Got it."

Then again, he _had_ wanted his dad to teach him...

Lloyd eventually got the hang of it, and he and Garmadon both began a cacophony of whistles that were probably supposed to be two different songs played badly and smooshed together.

Misako, who was walking ahead, finally turned around. "What are you boys doing?"

They turned and blew a loud _wheeeeet_ at her at the same time. Lloyd looked at his dad's silly face and then doubled over laughing, and Garmadon joined him.

Maybe it was the laughter, or the feeling of pride, or the sun on the back of his neck and the weight of someone he cared about close beside him, but all of the sudden it brought him back to that beach all that time ago, and Lloyd laughed so hard that it mingled with his tears.

His dad's laughter was faltering. "Everything all right?" he asked, smiling at Lloyd though his white eyebrows were scrunched together.

"Yeah. Just..." Lloyd swiped at his eyes, staring at the little blade of grass, and managed a bittersweet smile. "Remembering."

Garmadon did that thing where he searched Lloyd's emotions with his eyes, then smiled. He wrapped his arms around Lloyd's shoulders. "As well you should."

They walked on towards the dojo, Misako in the lead. Lloyd rubbed the blade of grass between his thumb and forefinger, just like he did every now and then, when he was alone outside traveling from one press tour to another.

If he was out in the country, and there was a wide green field and rice paddies stretching out between the road and the blue sky, he'd pluck a little blade of grass, fit it between his hands, and blow softly. The whistle note would ring out a little clearer every time.

Lloyd smiled.

 **THE END**

* * *

 **A/N: *WHEEZES* IT'S OVER**

 **IT'S DONE**

 **Thank you guys so much for sticking with me all the way here! I can't believe this turned into the project it did** — **over 25,000 words and several months of working and waiting, writing and rewriting, coming up with and stealing ideas, heh** — **but I'm so proud of it. This goes out to the wonderful Dr. Julien fan club on tumblr who wanted to see what Lloyd thought of our beloved Doc last fREAKING YEAR LOL**

 **So, ah...I can't promise that it's coming out very soon, especially since I want to devote more attention to my Captain America fanfics, but...if, by any chance, anyone would be interested in a** **"deleted scenes" one-shot collection of outtakes from Grass Whistle, I guess you can let me know in the reviews!**

 **Want some good music to listen to while you reread the fic? I made a playlist~ Add this after the youtube URL, and delete the spaces: / watch? v= 20Q-N_Vv_ R8 &list= PLDD3N_ iDe5b6cailb8PrVzYCV_ gLj4sTv**

 **Also if you're on tumblr, hit me up at eloquenceassassinated or send me a pm or something 'cause I wanna talk about my baby X-3**

 **Man, it's been a ride! I'm so ecstatic to be able to present this story to you guys in full! To all of you who have stuck with me since day one and all of you who will read this story long after it's finished, thank you for your support, and for being in this wonderful fandom!**

 **REVIEWS ARE GRASS WHISTLES!**


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